New Lyttelton Primary School officially opened

By Education Gazette editors

Issue: Volume 95, Number 12

Posted: 4 July 2016

Reference #: 1H9d2g

Lyttelton Primary is the seventh new school to be completed in the Christchurch Schools Rebuild programme.

Staff, students, and special guests have celebrated the official opening of Lyttelton Primary School, Canterbury’s newest school.

The $14.9 million project was funded by the Ministry of Education, and the school has been designed to accommodate up to 300 students.

The school, which opened its doors to students at the beginning of this term, had been operating from two sites since 2014.

“It’s great to see the students and staff together on the one site,” says Ministry Head of Education Infrastructure Jerome Sheppard.

“The local community has been patient and supportive throughout the construction process, and we are confident that they now have a comfortable, attractive and fit-for-purpose school.”

Principal Diana Feary says the Lyttelton School community loves its new buildings.

“They’re a dream come true,” she says. “The environment is great, and we’re loving everything about it."

“The kids absolutely love the spaces and how they can now work in them.”

Lyttelton Primary School has flexible spaces which support an innovative learning environment and a range of other modern facilities. Due to a tight and complex site the main school building has two storeys.

Unique theatre partnership

The school’s brand new theatre is being shared with the Loons Theatre Trust in a unique partnership arrangement. The internationally known theatre company was left without a home following the Canterbury earthquakes.

The trust contributed additional funds to the school’s new performance space to bring it up to the level of a professional theatre, and they are continuing to provide performance education at the school. The students have access to a professional-level performance space, and the Loons are able to continue their artistic contribution to the community.

The school is built on Lyttelton Main School’s former site, which was also the site of Lyttelton Borough School, originally built in 1874.

The 10-year Christchurch Schools Rebuild programme is in its third year and Lyttelton Primary is the seventh new school to be completed in the programme.