The New year has arrived and the new Ashmount School is ready for action. We’ve started the ‘big move’. It’s a bit like moving house, but with loads more stuff! However, it’s all worth it as we eagerly anticipate the arrival of everyone for the first day in this fantastic new facility.
See more photos here
Last Thursday nine of us set of on our challenge to swim the 12 days of Christmas. Two hours and 31 minutes later we all completed the task, having swum a total of 83 kilometres, or 50 miles, or across the channel and back – and a little bit more. If you would like to contribute to the Ashmount Appeal for our valiant effort (well we thought it was!) then you can do so here.
. . . and update on a few photos from this week here.
Back in the middle of summer (do you remember it – the long days, sunshine and warmth), in another moment of madness, our group of lunch time swimmers decided to swim the 12 days of Christmas. It comprises the following:
1 length + (1 length +2 lengths) + (1 length +2 lengths +3 lengths) . . . . .
. . . . all the way up to 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 1 0 + 11 + 12
A total of 364 lengths, or 9100 metres or 9.1 kilometres.
Whichever way you put it, it’s a long way! – and it’s not a team effort – each one of us is swimming the total distance. It seemed a good idea when we fixed the as it was such a long way off, but the day has nearly arrived – it’s tomorrow (Thursday 5th)!
I thought that while we are at it, I could raise some money for the Ashmount Appeal, raising funds for extra needed equipment for the pupils of the new school. You can contribute at:
www.justgiving.co.uk/ashmountappeal
Just let me know if you want to come and join us doing it!!
It’s hard to keep up with the progress in the new school as we near completion – everything changes on a daily basis. New things arrived to be installed around the rooms inside, the front drive is soon to be tarmacked and some of the final details around the grounds outside are being attended to. Trees have been planted in the front courtyard, all the turf has been laid and many of the shrubs have been planted.
Although it may look like a flying saucer in the sky, it’s not! It’s a reflection of one of the internal lights in the window the picture was taken through!
View the latest photos from week 52 here. View all sets here.
Summer has passed and the clocks have changed, but the work to complete the final stages of the new school goes on. The canopy at the front of the school is up and the drive around the front is nearing completion.
Inside, the walls are painted, the heating is on and the light are working. Much of the fixed furniture around the room are in place. The swimming pool is tiled and the walls around it are having the final tiles fitted (made by some of the pupils at Ashmount).
It was less than a year ago that the diggers arrived to commence work – and now it is nearly finished and we will soon be in.
Exciting times!
Front of school canopy
Staff visit to one of the classrooms
Front courtyard nearing completion
Food Tech – nearing completion
Swimming pool – with under-water lighting!
Things are moving along very quickly now. Photos below are from the third week in September following one of our site meetings. Most of the rooms are painted; grass is beginning to be laid around the back of the school; the tracking for the hoists are being installed; and a lot of discussion is going on about some of the final details where decisions need to be made.
New turf at the back of the school – it doesn’t seem long ago since the first turf was being cut in the field.
Multi-purpose hall. It will be great to have a hall that we can get the whole school in – we can’t at the moment!
A room with a view! – the equivalent office in the old school has no window!
All classrooms have an H system tracking hoist covering the whole classroom
With the recent warm weather it seem that everything in the garden has moved on at a pace – and so too with progress on the new school. Some of the externals have taken on their final form; internal walls have gone up inside; and plastering has just begun. It’s beginning to feel more like a school and it’s possible to get a feel of the shape and size of corridors, classrooms and other areas of the school.
roof detail above one of the post 16 classrooms
Some of the governors made a recent visit to see the progress for themselves. it was hard hats and high visibility jackets all around.
A ‘governor visit’ to one of the classrooms
The green wall below is the back part of the school housing the ‘Food Tec’ and ‘Art’ rooms. The green door is one of the classroom doors (all classrooms have a different colour door). It will eventually have a canopy over it. Within each classroom there is an area with a lower ceiling, as shown in the brick section below.
At the back of the school
Back corner of the school
When I took the photos recently the sky was blue – however normal British summer has now resumed. For further photos of all stages of the project see here.
During the last week of term head teacher Dave willing sacrificed his hair for two good causes. Students and staff gathered in the school hall (the old tiny one) to witness the occasion. Half of the funds will go to the Ashmount School Appeal (raising money for all those extra things we’ll need within school) and the other half goes to CLIC Sargent for children with cancer.
look – no hair!
For anyone who likes the style being modelled by Dave, I am sure we can arrange another session to do the same again – any takers? – Contact the school office for further information or to make your appointment!
all for a good cause
No, that’s not a comment on the status of the project, it’s a comment on my ability to keep up to date with posts on the progress of the new Ashmount School. The project is well on schedule, even slightly ahead. The pictures below are from the end of June.
School Entrance – insulation panels in place
This is a similar view to the last post, looking into the main entrance. The silver reflection is not the final finish! It is the insulation panels to keep the school warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
Floor (containing under floor heating pipes (being poured)
The floor is ‘poured’ (or rather ‘pumped’ from a cement mixer). The under-floor heating pipes are all buried in this – so there are no radiators on the walls. It would be interesting to know how many miles of pipe are buried in the floor.
Any one for a swim?
The swimming pool still looks much the same as it has done for a while, but the work goes on and it wont be long before the students of Ashmount School are enjoying a dip in it.
Up on the roof – classroom windows
Up on the roof things are pressing ahead. The picture above shows some of the final details. The windows pictures are the upper windows in the post 16 classrooms. All the classrooms have windows on bot sides to get lots of natural light in.
Things are moving along at a pace with lots of different contractors on site. The swimming pool has gone from being just a hole in the ground to the final formed shape with steps in place and some of the filtration system pipework connected.
The swimming pool takes shape
The school will have two ‘court yards’. The front one will be visible when arriving through the main doors of the school into the reception area. There has been much discussion with architects and artists as to how the space will be used.
Main entrance to the school – note the courtyard beyond
Walking around the school it’s now possible to see the different rooms beginning to take shape. The view below shows David and Mark viewing the new staffroom.
David & Mark view the new staffroom
View more photos here
the new Ashmount Special School 