Earlier today, May 24, St John’s Principal, Ian Tucker, opened the school’s newly completed sports facilities situated at the front of the school. They include a second four-court sports hall, two additional external multi-use courts, changing rooms and landscaped areas for student recreation. The new development will provide an exciting addition to the existing range of sports facilities for pupils at St John’s and for members of the wider community. It has transformed a previously unused area of rough ground at the front of the school.
Today’s ceremony was attended by representatives from St John’s staff, students, governors, St John’s Foundation Trust, Excalibur Academies Trust, the Mayor of Marlborough and representatives from local sports organisations, as well as representatives from several companies involved in the design and build of the project.
After welcoming the guests, Ian Tucker thanked everyone who had made the project possible: the design and build team, the staff and governors who worked hard to bring the project to reality, and the organisations who helped to fund the development. He also thanked the many families and organisations who gave donations for the Phase 2 sports facilities some years ago, whose names will be added to the school’s Honours board soon.
Ian Tucker said, “A key vision for this project has been about creating first impressions, for our visitors and for those who learn or work at St John’s and Excalibur. It has been about making everyone feel they are in a place that gives them the very best life chances academically, but also recognises that sport, fitness and well-being are equally important.
The levels of support and the collective community effort put into this project have today enabled us to achieve that vision, and it is now our responsibility to ensure that this first impression remains a reality, particularly for the young people we are here to serve”.
Martin Cook, Logistics Director at St John’s, has overseen the new development from the planning stages, and is delighted with the new facilities and the huge benefits they bring to St John’s students and the wider community. He said: “As well as outstanding academic success, St John’s now stands as a school with truly outstanding facilities. Students and local sport clubs now have all-year access to a games and PE facility that truly enhances the provision of the activity based curriculum. I have been proud to be associated with such an exciting project.”
Guests were given a tour of the new Sports Hall and outdoor spaces, and a group of students demonstrated their skills on the courts.
Robert Duxbury, Managing Director of Collinson Construction said: “We’re proud to have worked in partnership with St John’s Marlborough to bring this wonderful new facility to life. The scheme fulfils a long-standing aim of the school to transform the space outside the main entrance, which had been earmarked for development for many years, while boosting top-class sporting spaces for the school’s students as well as ensuring the Marlborough community has access to a wider range of sporting facilities.”
Martha Caudle, a student in Year 8 and a Wiltshire Deputy Youth Councillor, told Marlborough.news, “The new facilities are really cool and there will be lots of new opportunities for more sports activities particularly when the other sports hall is out of use because it’s used for exams.”
Kit Dillon, Head of PE, commented, “The new facilities will allow us to open up opportunities for students at lunch-time and break-time and allow us to introduce new sports such as handball.”
The new facilities will be fully opened to students after the half-term break and will add a significant new dimension to the school’s PE and Sports provision, as well as providing additional sheltered recreational areas for students.
St John’s currently has several job vacancies on offer. Visit our jobs section here to find out more.
Ramsbury triathletes raise money for charity
