insideKENT Magazine Issue 34 - January 2015 | Page 123
EDUCATION
New West Kent sixth form
centre proves a big hit
Award-winning design and build specialist, Directline
Structures, has received plaudits from parents and
students alike following the completion and opening
of a sixth form centre at Claremont Senior School
near Bodiam, on the East Sussex-Kent border.
Langdon the Lion helps make
bridge building fun
The team from Ashford-based Directline Structures were on hand to talk
to parents and students when they were invited to tour the centre.
Managing director, Duncan Murray, said they were inundated with positive
feedback praising the design and sense of space created by high ceilings
and abundance of natural daylight.
Primary schools are to benefit from free educational
materials encouraging children to consider a career
in civil engineering.
“It was gratifying to hear comments like ‘wow’ and ‘aren’t the students
lucky’ and ‘we never had anything like this when I was at school’. To receive
such an overwhelmingly positive reaction is wonderful and gives a real sense
of satisfaction at a job well done.”
Schools in Maidstone, Medway, and Tonbridge are being given the Key
Stage 2-level education packs by Rochester Bridge Trust.
The facility, which welcomed its first students in autumn 2014, caters for
up to 100 sixth form students and includes five classrooms and a meeting
room. The two ‘stand-out’ features are the Common Room at the front of
the building, where students can relax and socialise, and the Study Room
at the rear, which is for quiet independent study. The design incorporates
a range of room sizes to cater for the different subjects taught at A-level,
and each room has its own feature wall in a colour of the teacher’s choice.
Comprising 12 lesson plans, the books and associated website encourages
youngsters to get involved with bridge building, trying out different techniques
and thinking about the engineering challenges involved, guided by mascot,
Langdon the Lion.
Rochester Bridge Trust’s, Sue Threader, explained: “As well as supporting
the provision of bridges along the River Medway and the maintenance of
those at Rochester, we also have a commitment to encourage young people
to consider civil engineering as a career option.
Claremont Senior School opened in 2011 after taking over the former Bodiam
Manor prep school site. Since then, millions of pounds have been invested
in adding a range of high-quality facilities. Directline Structures was
commissioned to design and build a sports hall, which opened in summer
2013, quickly followed by the decision to press ahead with a sixth form
centre on adjoining land.
“These lesson plans – which are ideal for after school clubs – are a way of
doing just that, and with the help of Langdon the Lion, we feel certain
children will enjoy taking a hands-on approach to bridge building.”
The addition of a sixth form centre allows the school to continue to grow
as its students move through the years. The project has also boosted choice
when it comes to sixth form places across the region.
The materials were written by Mrs Threader, a qualified civil engineer, with
design by Guy Fox, a specialist educational charity.
Directline Structures, which has been developing commercial steel buildings
since 1988, had previously built a multi-purpose hall for Claremont preparatory
school and nursery at its St Leonards site.
Langdon, the friendly character who guides children through the activities,
is inspired by the lion statues that sit on Rochester Old Bridge. His name
is taken from Langdon Manor Farm, one of the original properties bequeathed
to the Trust, which dates from 1399.
For more information about Directline Structures, visit
www.directlinestructures.co.uk, email [email protected] or
call 01233 504770.
As part of his surveying duties, and to help launch the education materials,
Langdon recently visited bridges over the River Medway in Maidstone,
Rochester, and Tonbridge.
For more information about Claremont Senior School, visit
www.claremontschool.co.uk.
For further information on the education packs, Rochester Bridge Trust,
and Langdon the Lion, visit www.rochesterbridgetrust.co.uk.
123