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Search forDelay to opening of £3.1m Chaddesden centre won't stop lessons going ahead
Wednesday, September 03, 2008, 11:30
The opening of the centre in the grounds of Lees Brook Community Sports College, in Morley Road, has been delayed by five weeks because of building works.
Students were expecting to enrol on Monday, September 15, but will spend their first-day induction at the Rams' ground instead.
Lessons have been hastily re-arranged to take place in temporary venues, including the main school buildings in Chaddesden Lane and at the Church on Oakwood, at Bishop's Drive.
The centre has been designed to act as a stop-gap between school and college for those pupils who feel they need a more specialised curriculum before further education.
It will offer one-year entry-level and level-one courses in construction, retail, beauty therapy, hairdressing, health and social care and hospitality and catering.
Joe McColgan, assistant head teacher at the centre, has been overseeing the project from before it started being built last November.
He said the delayed opening has been frustrating but is confident students will be pleased with the end result.
He said: "We anticipate that up to 80 students will enrol on the first day but it's difficult to be specific because this is non-compulsory education.
"But we are writing to them all to tell them of the change of venues and look forward to seeing them as planned."
The delay has been caused by several factors, including unforeseen water main problems created by tree roots on one part of the site. Developers also had to halt works during recent exams in May and June.
Mr McColgan said: "It was always going to be a tight schedule and at one time it was seven weeks behind.
"At least this has now been pulled back to five and we can look at getting it finished."
Former pupils of Lees Brook School will attend the centre, as well as former students of da Vinci Community College, in Breadsall Hilltop, West Park Community School, in Spondon, Kirk Hallam Community Technology College, Noel-Baker Community School, in Alvaston, and John Flamsteed School, in Denby.
Large areas of the buildings, funded by Derbyshire Learning and Skills Council, will be dedicated to each subject, and there will be an extensive library and resource centre as well as somewhere for students to meet with a plasma screen.
The hairdressing department has been designed as a working salon and the retail department has a shop front to help with window-dressing skills.
Seven new teaching and support staff have been employed by the school to work in the centre.
Staff from the Morley Road school will also be used to help with construction and health and social care courses.
Mr McColgan said: "It's an exciting time for the school and we hope everyone will be patient over the delay."
Visit: Joe McColgan, the centre's assistant head, shows reporter Zena Hawley around the new building
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