The new school with a design for the future

3:51pm Tuesday 23rd September 2008

Curiosity has been roused over what lies behind the gates of the new Frederick Bremer School, and whether it is living up to expectations. Guardian reporter MHAIRI MACFARLANE was invited for a look behind the scenes ahead of an open day.

The £20 million project to build a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) school, merging Aveling Park and Warwick Boys in Walthamstow, was realised this month when the Frederick Bremer gates opened for the first time.

Deputy head Vera Horley said: “You wouldn’t know there were two different schools.

“But it has been two-and-a-half years in the planning where pupils had shared events, trips and staff had quite a lot of training days together. It has worked very well and we have had a lot of input into what we wanted from the new school.”

The planning, which included pupils designing the uniform, appears to have paid off.

Nestled among new-build flats in Fulbourne Road, Walthamstow, the building creates a ‘tardis’ effect, whereby it appears much bigger on the inside.

The school praised the builders for completing on time, albeit with a few finishing touches required, such as the electronic registering system and permanent railings in the amphitheatre.

On the whole, the response from students has been a positive one.

Year 7 pupil Bethany Howard, 11, said: “My grandad is always asking what it is like. I’m happy with the building. It is modern-looking with different colours, and a climbing wall. I was really excited about coming to a new school.”

Frederick Bremer opened as a centre for engineering excellence, which is reflected in the design of its imposing building, complete with exposed pipes and structures.

Other nods to its status are plaques of famous engineers in the playground, and an exhibition in the library about the school’s namesake – who built the first British petrol car in Walthamstow.

Engineering studies specialist and teacher Nigel Bell explained the status guaranteed more opportunities in that area, but insisted core school subjects and the arts would not be neglected.

He said: “It will provide a lot of external funding for us over the next three years, allowing us to extend maths, science and technology.

“Engineering is particularly relevant in Waltham Forest because there is a skills shortage and high unemployment so we are hoping to turn out several generations with the skills and interest. We are not just here for engineering, but if they have an interest we will make it happen.”

Marrying the two schools brought about many adjustments for pupils, especially for Warwick boys, some of whom are experiencing a co-educational environment for the first time.

The merge also takes the ratio of boys and girls to 6:4, but there was a majority of boys in Aveling Park so the girls were already used to being in the minority.

Year 11 pupil Alex Austin, 15, from Warwick Boys, said: “It was an adjustment for us coming from a boys’ school, but it doesn’t matter as long as you have friends and both schools made an effort for us to get to know each other.

“There was some apprehension about mixing but as soon as we got here everybody seemed to want to get on. It is not a hostile environment.”

Student Keerthana Sarveswarasarma, 15, said: “There are some boys who are shy, but I think that will change now we are in a mixed class. We had the distraction of moving schools, but because of the new building and technology when we got here, it will help us with our studies.”

The merger also means that there is a swell in the number of pupils in Year 7, which is being managed with the installation of two temporary teaching huts at the front of the school, which will be used for up to two years.

There will be an open evening for Year 6 students and parents on October 2 from 5.30pm to 8.30pm.

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