Building in use, college abuzz

Cromwell College’s new building has created a buzz among students and faculty as it opened to classes last week.

Principal Mason Stretch said the new building was a fabulous asset for the school.

The school was built in the 1980s using prefabricated buildings, which were not designed to be used for the number of years they had been in use, he said.

"We’ve looked after it really, really well, but our spaces, especially in the technology area, are not really fit for purpose for 21st-century education."

The process from initial design to construction completion took three to four years.

The new building contained modern teaching spaces for art, digital technology, food and hard material technologies.

Mr Stretch said he was proud of the work staff put into moving out of the old classrooms getting the brand new rooms ready for students.

While it was too early to hear feedback from students and staff about the new building, Mr Stretch said chatting to students had given him a sense about excitement about the new teaching space.

"They’re really excited, they just couldn’t wait to get into the building ...

"Other students who aren’t using those spaces are really keen to get in and have a look."

The new building was the first step in the school’s master plan to rebuild the whole school over a 20-year period, once funding becomes available from the Ministry of Education.

Mr Stretch said the school had not had a building project like this planned since its construction in the late 1970s and early ’80s.

"It’s significant, and it’s really exciting for our kura.

"It really steps us into modern teaching and learning environments, and both staff and students are really excited."

An official opening is planned for the building, the date for which will be announced later in the year.