New school which escaped the axe opens doors to pupils

Spingwell Community School, is one of 11 new schools developed in Barnsley as part of the BSF project, which was introduced under the Labour government and would have seen every secondary school in the country revamped or rebuilt had it not been scrapped by the coalition Government last year.

While Barnsley and Sheffield’s schemes were sufficiently advanced to still go ahead, those in Doncaster and Rotherham were abandoned to save money.

Springwell Community School caters for children aged three to 18 with special needs, and the new building is said to “enhance the school’s ability to support the individual needs of every student.”

Headteacher Josie Thirkell said: “All of the staff and pupils are thrilled with their new school. Comments from staff include ‘it feels like we are coming into a special place’ and ‘it’s just magnificent’.

“The pupils have said they cannot believe they are so lucky. We are all really glad to be in the building and are looking forward to sharing in the future possibilities that are more easily achievable because of the new school setting and the high level of investment by Barnsley into their special needs children.”

Constructed by Laing O’Rourke and designed by architects Atkins, the new building for Springwell Community School uses traditional materials including timber cladding, to sit “sympathetically on the landscape.” The grounds include an activity area, quiet walkways, and gardens.

Coun Linda Burgess, Barnsley Council’s spokesman for chidlren and families, said: “This is an amazing new building which provides the best possible learning and support environment for vulnerable young people from across Barnsley.

“The head and staff must be congratulated for their excellent contribution to the design of the building which incorporates the very best facilities for their pupils.”

Greenacre School and the Shafton Advanced Learning Centre will be the next two schools in Barnsley to hand over, opening in September 2011 and January 2012 respectively.