New School

Design for the new building, shown here, reflects the unique identity and status of St Wilfrid’s Catholic School. Our architect has worked closely with the school, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton and West Sussex Education Authority, to develop our vision for the new building.

The school chapel is situated prominently at the front of the building near the main entrance, signifying the school’s role since its foundation in 1953 as the Catholic secondary school for this area of the Diocese, its mission and its ethos. Also adjacent to the entrance are spaces which reflect the school’s businessand enterprise with ethics specialist status. The dedicated enterprise and ethics education centre will facilitate and further links with sponsors and the local community. The teaching areas here will promote vocational and work-related learning, key aspects of our specialist status; there will be teaching spaces for business studies, media, art, food technology and leisure and tourism. A shop will function as a business outlet to serve the needs of students and staff. The spacious learning resource centre is centrally placed, above the entrance on the first floor.

Beyond the entrance a bright, double-height atrium will provide for a variety of communal purposes, including dining. This opens directly onto the large courtyard around which all the school facilities are situated. The courtyard will be an exciting space which, whilst functioning primarily as a recreational and social area, will also provide an arena for open air theatrical, musical and liturgical events.

Along the wide, double-height concourse which curves north westerly from the entrance are most of the school’s class rooms, science laboratories and specialist technology work rooms. The planning for access to information technology is innovative: spacious I.T suites are placed at strategic intervals along and open to the concourse on both levels to provide additional teaching and learning areas in spaces reflecting 21 st century work environment.

The other wing of the school, skirting parkland to the east, contains the music suite, the assembly hall, activity/dance studio, drama studio and Sports England sized sports hall. Each of these areas is designed to meet the latest technical specifications to serve the talents and aspirations of future generations of St Wilfrid’s students. The sixth form suite, also located in the east wing, will provide excellent study and social areas for a large sixth form community.

Around the building, new playing fields, multi-use hard surface games areas, and pitches will be laid out. Landscaping will ensure that the natural beauty of the present green, wooded environment is maintained whilst encouraging present and potential wildlife habitats to develop. Incorporated into the design of the building are features which conserve energy, maximise natural light, and ventilation, and reduce glare, to meet the highest ecological standards.

The new building is uncompromisingly modern in its design and will function as a school preparing young people for the challenges of life in the 21 st century. At its foundation are the spiritual and moral values of the present school.

 

 

 

 

To see a video of the new build from September - November 2007, then please click here

To see a video of the new build as of November 2007, then please click here

To see a video of the new build up to May 2008, then please right click here and select save target as (please bear in mind that this is a large file (over 100mb))

To see a video of the new build from May 2008 through to October 2008, then please right click here and select save target as (please bear in mind that this is a large file (over 100mb))