10 Jul 2003

The new £10.3million Redbridge Community school is due to be officially opened next week

Saints Chairman Rupert Lowe and former Saints footballer Matthew Le Tissier will be guests of honour to launch the new school buildings and also celebrate the school's recently received accolade of specialist sports status.

The football club, together with HSBC, were the school's main sponsors in raising the £50,000 needed to bid for specialist sports college status.

Redbridge was only the second school in the city to gain specialist status meaning it will benefit from additional funding over the next four years to help provide additional sporting opportunities for pupils, partner schools and community groups.

The new buildings were constructed by Interserve Project Services Ltd and opened at the beginning of the summer term. Since then pupils have been enjoying the state-of-the-art facilities and equipment including a new sports hall and gymnasium.

A large central courtyard provides a secure environment for recreation and outside study.

The school also boasts a special community wing, part-funded with regeneration money, which allows people even more access to community facilities.

As well as first class ICT rooms and learning areas, local residents can make use of a games room and a new purpose-built early years facility and children's holiday activities.

The community was recently able to see what services are on offer at a special celebration week in June when a series of free taster sessions were held. Interservefm Ltd will be responsible for facilities management for 28 years which began at Financial Close.

The new school will be officially opened on Tuesday, July 8, in front of an audience of VIPs, pupils and parents.

Head teacher Richard Schofield said: "I am absolutely delighted that we are officially opening the new Redbridge Community School.

"Staff and pupils have looked forward to this day for a long time. The opening of the new buildings, combined with the award of specialist sports status sees a very exciting future on the cards for pupils at the school."

Cabinet Member for Lifelong Learning and Training, Councillor Calvin Horner, said: "The official opening of the new £10.3million new Redbridge Community School is a very exciting development in the provision of education in Southampton.

"The council has worked hard with the school and developers Pyramid Schools (Southampton) Ltd to produce this new school which includes a new sports hall, high tech ICT facilities and floodlit all-weather pitches."

Director of Pyramid Schools (Southampton) Ltd Gaynor Birley-Smith said: "Developing Redbridge has been a gratifying experience. We've formed good working relationships with both the council and the school and it is great to see the children and teaching staff already benefiting from the facilities.

"We're looking forward to continuing these relationships in the ongoing support services we will be providing there."

Sue Fletcher, Chair of the Outer Shirley Regeneration Board, which donated nearly £500,000 to building the new school's community wing, said: "Regeneration is all about providing opportunities for local people to help them improve their lives and so I am delighted that we have helped enhance the community learning facilities on offer at Redbridge.

"I am sure that many local people will benefit whether they are learning just for fun or to gain a qualification."

The school is the first of three new secondary schools, which are being delivered as part of a £42million Private Finance Initiative of which Interserve Investments Plc and Bank of Scotland are shareholders. Woodlands Community and Cantell are both due to open their doors to pupils and staff at the beginning of the autumn term.

Read the case study for this project