Work to add a pair of classrooms and turn vacant land into
a playing field continued at Remarkables Primary School,
Frankton, yesterday. Photo by James Beech.
Remarkables Primary School has pushed back its starting
date for term one to give Ministry of Education contractors
more time to finish the installation of a temporary classroom
block and the expansion of the playing field.
Heavy machinery and earthworks are visible on the grounds of
the Frankton school as contractors clear vacant land near the
existing early learning centre to make way for a single block
of two classrooms.
Pupils were now scheduled to begin their studies in 2013 on
February 7, which gave contractors on a tight schedule extra
time and also was clear of Waitangi Day on February 6, board
of trustees chairwoman Fiona Woodham said yesterday.
The ministry confirmed this week two of the temporary
''teaching spaces'' would be ready for use at the start of
the school year as planned. The third will be ready for the
beginning of term three at the latest.
The classrooms will be fitted with sound insulation to comply
with the requirements of the Queenstown Lakes District
Council, given the school's proximity to aircraft movements
at Queenstown Airport.
Work was also being done to extend the greenfield playing
area, another necessity of the school's growing roll. The
previously unused and vacant land will be irrigated and given
new topsoil to make it safe for children's activities and
sports.
A roll of 481 pupils is expected by the end of 2013, based on
pre-enrolments late last year. The school board predicts
there will be 520 to 530 pupils by mid-2014.
The official capacity of the school is 460 pupils.
Ministry property advisers said last year the school needed
to accommodate a further 60 pupils before the planned new
Wakatipu primary school opened ''in about two years' time''.
Mrs Woodham said trustees were in the early stages of
discussions with ministry officials about permanent
classrooms.
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