Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2010-07-22 02:37:21 - Graham Ellis
On Tuesday evening, we had a chance to look around Melksham's new school, built and equipped at a cost of some 32 million pounds. And very impressive it is too. Here are some pictures (taken with permission); I rather suspect working pictures will be hard to come by as the stipulation is "do not photograph pupils" and I expect there will be lots of pupils around - the school can take up to 1150 pupils in the main section, and 200 6th formers.
Click on any of the images to see them much larger, in another window. There are also earlier pictures [here].
Reception. There are actually three entrances - this is the visitor's entrance, then there is the pupil's entrance and round the back in the community entrance.
Entrance. It's good to see encouragement of cycling and walking to school, and I'm happy to hear talk of improvements of the public footpath that runs diagonally across to Snarleton lane too. I hope they have it right ... and don't find that there is too little encouragement for the healthier transport, and too little parking as well.
School Hall. This racking folds back, including the seats, in just three minutes. I presume that there are checks made to ensure there are no pupils underneath first!
Computer Suite There are - literally - hundreds of computers (do I recall someone saying 500) and all are brand new. That looks excellent at the moment - I hope that there's plans in place so that the computing facilities will remain modern and appropriate in 5 years and ten years too.
Resource Centre. Post name for library! More computers, of course. Here some of the books have been brought over from the old George Ward, and the shelves still look less that filled; I understand more books are yet to be inventoried and unpacked.
Green Lobby. The school is divided into five coloured areas, each with subject themes - Maths and English, Science, History and Geography, Music, etc. There's also a separate sixth form area.
Staff Room. This might be the picture the pupils want to see - the place they won't be. Actually very much an inside room, and probably not big enough if all teh staff are around at the same time.
Music Area. Now the music area is impressive - lots of new instruments, practise rooms, and a complete computer suite given over to the technology of music. I understand that the music staff are rather happy with what they have.
Class Room. Perhaps a typical classroom? But there are so many specialist rooms - from science labs and home economics through the computer labs, to smaller special needs rooms and a detention room which (perhaps I shouldn't say this) would be an ideal place to get away with a laptop and really concentrate on some coding.
Red Hallway. A further hallway. The school was eerily quiet as we looked around in the evening; there are plans for community use, but words like "eventually" and "possibly" were being bandied about, and we were told of strict access controls on nonpupils, so I really wonder if words will indeed turn to deeds on this one.
Pupils Canteen. Around 8% get free schoool meals at Melksham's scholl - but you can't tell who because it's all biometric and based on finger print recongnition at the till. I found myself wondering how they're going to keep the finger print readers clean and sanitised and stop flu racing through the school, but I'm sure they'll have thought of that one.
Sports Equipment. "They never had equipment like this when I was at school" ;-) But it's good to see excellent sports facilities. Public use in the evening, please ...
Sports Hall. What is there to say about this magnificent new sports hall ...
... and about the Astro Turf pitches outside?
Truly - a very impressive set of school buildings. Of course, a lot of the success of a school comes down to the quality of the teaching there, but let' hope that the new facilities can provide a helpful impetus to the teachers, and a pride in both the pupils and the staff, so that Melksham Oak is a huge success. I like what I see, and wish it well.
Reception. There are actually three entrances - this is the visitor's entrance, then there is the pupil's entrance and round the back in the community entrance. 
Entrance. It's good to see encouragement of cycling and walking to school, and I'm happy to hear talk of improvements of the public footpath that runs diagonally across to Snarleton lane too. I hope they have it right ... and don't find that there is too little encouragement for the healthier transport, and too little parking as well.
School Hall. This racking folds back, including the seats, in just three minutes. I presume that there are checks made to ensure there are no pupils underneath first!
Computer Suite There are - literally - hundreds of computers (do I recall someone saying 500) and all are brand new. That looks excellent at the moment - I hope that there's plans in place so that the computing facilities will remain modern and appropriate in 5 years and ten years too.
Resource Centre. Post name for library! More computers, of course. Here some of the books have been brought over from the old George Ward, and the shelves still look less that filled; I understand more books are yet to be inventoried and unpacked.
Green Lobby. The school is divided into five coloured areas, each with subject themes - Maths and English, Science, History and Geography, Music, etc. There's also a separate sixth form area.
Staff Room. This might be the picture the pupils want to see - the place they won't be. Actually very much an inside room, and probably not big enough if all teh staff are around at the same time.
Music Area. Now the music area is impressive - lots of new instruments, practise rooms, and a complete computer suite given over to the technology of music. I understand that the music staff are rather happy with what they have.
Class Room. Perhaps a typical classroom? But there are so many specialist rooms - from science labs and home economics through the computer labs, to smaller special needs rooms and a detention room which (perhaps I shouldn't say this) would be an ideal place to get away with a laptop and really concentrate on some coding.
Red Hallway. A further hallway. The school was eerily quiet as we looked around in the evening; there are plans for community use, but words like "eventually" and "possibly" were being bandied about, and we were told of strict access controls on nonpupils, so I really wonder if words will indeed turn to deeds on this one.
Pupils Canteen. Around 8% get free schoool meals at Melksham's scholl - but you can't tell who because it's all biometric and based on finger print recongnition at the till. I found myself wondering how they're going to keep the finger print readers clean and sanitised and stop flu racing through the school, but I'm sure they'll have thought of that one.
Sports Equipment. "They never had equipment like this when I was at school" ;-) But it's good to see excellent sports facilities. Public use in the evening, please ...
Sports Hall. What is there to say about this magnificent new sports hall ...
... and about the Astro Turf pitches outside?