Head's Special Newsletter re new building works

Dear Parents I am delighted to announce that we have been successful in our bid application to the Education Funding Agency (an arm of the Department for Education) for funding for our new building to replace the dilapidated 1940s dining hall and kitchens. The new building, at a cost of approximately £3.1m, will incorporate a new larger dining room and kitchen on the ground floor, and five new classrooms on the first floor. Architecturally it is a fine building in the style of the Dempsey Centre, and designed by the same architect. We will also create a new pedestrian entrance near the Lovekyn chapel. The whole project will undoubtedly transform the school and in particular the area of the site bordering London Road and Queen Elizabeth Road. It will also offset and enhance the Lovekyn chapel beautifully. You may well be aware that after much effort, we gained planning permission for this building three years ago and started building Phase 1 in 2014 which we opened officially in February 2015, thereby providing three additional classrooms for our students. We envisage that work on this final Phase 2 will start later this year, with a construction time of about one year.

The successful bid has involved a rigorous and competitive process to secure the necessary funding and effectively represents the culmination of four years of endeavour. Indeed our plans for this building have been in train since 2004 when we completed the LRC which was designed knowing that we would one day extend over the area of the current dining hall. It is therefore truly thrilling to now be in a position to do this, and exciting to know that both current and future generations of Tiffinians will benefit from this extraordinary development. The core funding, made up of a grant of approximately £2.8m from government, with the remainder from our own fundraising, is already in place. However, we will be looking to raise more money to complete the project and fully equip the building as we would like, and to enhance the surrounding area. I will be writing to you at a later stage for your support in further fundraising for this exciting development. Please do look at the plans and drawings in this special newsletter. Yours sincerely

M D Gascoigne Headteacher

Existing and Proposed East andWest Elevations