Our Chairman, Councillor Percy Prowse, has joined the Headteacher and officials at Great Torrington School to open a new two-storey teaching block.
The new building provides additional education facilities to support the school’s capacity of 900 places for 11 to 16 year olds.
It accommodates three new classrooms, office space, small group work areas, a new library resource area, and is connected to the main school building.
The existing library has been re-modelled into additional dining space for pupils, providing a much-needed expansion to the small dining hall originally built in 1939.
The expansion has also provided additional space for the school’s Hardy Centre, which supports pupils with individual needs, including young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, and those who sometimes struggle with daily school life.
The £1.45m project has been jointly funded by the Academy Trust and Devon County Council.
Headteacher, Andy Bloodworth, said:
“Single Academy Trusts like Great Torrington School can, when working alongside the local authority, still provide high quality education, high quality facilities and genuine choice for pupils and parents.
“On the back of another year where Great Torrington School has seen results improve again, despite national reductions, completing this build and developing what we can offer young people has demonstrated what can be achieved.”
Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, Cabinet Member with responsibility for education, said:
“This expansion will not only provide improved high quality teaching facilities at Great Torrington School, but it also ensures that additional school places can be provided to meet increasing pupil numbers from local housing growth.”
Local County Councillor for Torrington Rural, Andrew Saywell, said:
“I am delighted that the new extension to Great Torrington School has been opened and that Devon County Council was able to financially contribute towards this project. The new buildings will provide additional, modern facilities to support pupils at the school, and I’m especially pleased that the work also provides extra capacity to support young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.”
