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