13 Sep 2004

The Minister of State for School Standards David Miliband MP will be the guest of honour at Woodlands Community College in Southampton tomorrow 14th September 2004, where the College will be officially opened.

The ceremony will also mark the School's achievement in gaining dual specialist status in Science and Engineering.

Beginning at midday the event will see Mr Milliband touring the school, meeting and talking to staff and students before carrying out the official naming ceremony.

The new facilities will offer great opportunities for its students, and the accolade of specialist status in science and engineering will mean the schools will benefit from additional funding over the next four years to help provide a first class education to its pupils.

Woodlands will also become a centre for the community, with a specially designated community pavilion offering a wealth of community classes and on site advice from organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau and NHS Health Advice during the week. The local community can also hire rooms or the sports areas as well as a fully equipped 32-person conference room.

Woodlands Community College is one of three schools in Southampton which have been delivered through the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) by Pyramid Schools (Southampton) Limited, owned by Interserve and Bank of Scotland. This is the last school in the scheme to be officially opened; both Cantell and Redbridge have already seen their ceremonies earlier this year.

Bruce Melizan, managing director of Interserve Investments, said: "Our partnership with Southampton City Council is working well and we're proud of what we`ve achieved so far in constructing Woodlands. Now that the college is officially open, our commitment to supporting the community continues as we`ve moved on to the next phase and are delivering operational services there."