Construction begins on The Gardens School

The $22 million project will see a new school built on the site of the old school, which was demolished earlier this year.

Many of the old teaching spaces at The Gardens School were affected by structural and weathertightness issues.

Principal Susannah Fowler says she, her colleagues and the students are all looking forward to the new facilities their school will have.

“We have worked with Moaa Architects and the Ministry of Education to design a school that is quirky and we have maintained a focus on it being ‘a place for kids’,” she says. “We want it to be fun.”

Susannah says the old buildings were made up of single cell classrooms, while the new school has been designed as innovative learning environments.

“We’ve developed a strategic approach to changing the teaching pedagogy of our staff, to enable them to be ready for these new learning environments."

“As a result of this deliberate planning, there has been enormous movement in staff thinking, practice and a willingness to try new methods of teaching.”

During construction a number of temporary classrooms have been placed on the school field to accommodate students and teachers.

A new school hall will be constructed, which Susannah says will help boost the strong culture and feeling of connectedness at the school.

A prominent spot on the school site will be occupied by a new library.

“We’re very excited about the concept of our library being a community space and we hope we will have more community engagement through this space.”

The new school will be three storeys high to accommodate a growing roll and help preserve outdoor space. The new facilities at The Gardens School will cater for 700 students, an increase from its current roll of 530 children.

Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2017, meaning students will begin the 2018 school year in their brand-new learning spaces.