Information on Loughborough

Major milestone as work begins on new Post-16 Centre in Melton!

Posted on 05/10/2009

Leicestershire Councty Council

5 October 2009

Major milestone as work begins on new Post-16 Centre in Melton!

Photo opportunity: The Melton and Vale of Belvoir school's partnership has reached a significant milestone as work begins on the new £13 million Post-16 Centre.  David Parsons, the Leader of Leicestershire County Council, will be joined by headteachers and students at a special turf cutting ceremony to celebrate this achievement at 12 noon on Monday 12th October.  The new centre will be situated on the King Edward VII School campus on Burton Road in Melton.

Plans for the new state-of-the-art building include:

  • Four 'learning zones' dedicated to different areas of study.  They are: Communications, which includes English and foreign languages, Discovery, including science,  Maths World, that includes geography and history and Creativity, which includes art and design.
  • A Learning Resource Centre, with full library facilities, including ICT and areas for independent study and group working.
  • A large flexible learning area extending over two floors to provide space for group and independent working and wireless internet access.
  • Modern science laboratories, including a sports science lab
  • Classrooms with moveable walls to help with teaching larger or smaller groups
  • A new dance and drama studio which can be opened out into the adjacent area to create a large performance space with tiered seating.

The building will also incorporate the latest environmentally friendly and energy saving ideas such as, high levels of insulation to make the building heat-efficient and a wind turbine to generate electricity.  The new school has also been designed to maximise natural light and ventilation.

It will have a dedicated core of teachers with a wealth of experience at Key Stage 5, supported by professionals from other partner schools and Brooksby Melton College.  Staff and students will work closely together, sharing social areas such as a café and work spaces - this will help them to share ideas and create a culture of collaborative learning.

The Post-16 Centre will provide an excellent range of academic and vocational courses, including new diplomas.  It  will not only  focus on the needs of Post-16 students, to enhance their learning experience, but also provide wider opportunities for community use.  Students will study at the Post-16 Centre after studying at one of the four partner secondary schools in the area from age 11 to 16.

David Parsons, Leader of Leicestershire County Council, said:

“This is a major development for learning in Melton and the Vale of Belvoir and will strengthen further the partnership formed between schools in the area.  The new Post-16 Centre will provide a state-of-the-art learning environment for our young people and it will offer an excellent range of courses.   The new building will have a magnificent array of facilities that will bring education right into the 21st Century.”

The new Post-16 Centre is being built as one of the major projects that forms part of the County Council’s pioneering £45 million investment in Melton and the Vale of Belvoir, which aims to raise standards of attainment and achievement by pupils, and builds on current school excellence.