We are delighted to inform you that plans have been approved by Lincolnshire County Council's Executive to provide an additional 133 school places at St Christopher's School with a new purpose built primary school on the former Usher Junior School site, on Skellingthorpe Road. Once the primary school is built our current St Christopher's on Hykeham Road site will undergo extensive redevelopment and remodelling to provide specialist secondary-age school.
Thank you again for your ongoing support, this is a very positive and exciting stage of the schools journey. Follow all the progress for both sites here.
Recently, on the 21st June 2021, 1HC, Mrs Reed, Mrs Fletcher, Mrs Pompa and myself went to the field that was previously a school, now the site for our new Primary School. While we were there, we were told that there was a time capsule buried underneath the ground that has been there since the 1970s.
We met with people from the council and former students and I managed to get some information from 2 people I interviewed while the children were having fun, using metal detectors.
The first person I interviewed was a former student from the 1960s and she shared a bit of info with me. Her name was Susan King. I asked her why she was here today.
“I used to attend this school and when it was demolished, I was upset and reached out to other people through social media and a few people responded to say there was a time capsule. I came to see if I can help and find it.’’
Then, I asked if she knew when the school was demolished and she said:
“I think it opened on the 1st April 1930 the demolished 2012.’’
Meanwhile, the children found a few objects while helping the search for the time capsule, they found a few items like:
Next, I interviewed a lady called Tina Shaw who works for the council and is part of helping with the build of the new school. I asked what her job is and why the previous school was demolished:
“I’m a project manager and work for the council and I’m working alongside the builders and architects to make sure it’s built on time and make sure we’ve got enough money.
It was demolished due to the school being old, so we decided to put 2 schools together to make a primary/secondary school which is now Primary Witham.’’
And I asked her 3 final questions about how long the build will take, who’s building it and what is she most excited about this project.
“It’s going to take a year and 2 months to build. Wates Construction are building the school and I’m most excited about the children using an amazing school.’’
Everyone is still searching for the time capsule and if they find it, we may go back but for now, we must wait patiently and hope we can see what it contains.
I am delighted to say that the local authority have agreed to fund for us to have a brand new primary school built which will be on Skellingthorpe road. In addition, a significant part of our current site on Hykeham road will be renovated to create our secondary school provision.
We are hopeful that the primary school will be complete by December 2022 and at this point our primary school students will transition into a beautiful purpose built primary special school. The school will be able to cater for 130 students with a provision for all needs including profound and multiple learning difficulties, complex autism, severe learning difficulties and moderate learning difficulties.
Once the primary school students have moved to the new site, the current site will begin renovation and we are hopeful for completion by September 2024. The secondary site will also be able to accommodate all needs and will have 206 students on roll.
Although there will be two sites to St Christopher’s, we will be one school and students from the primary school will automatically have a place at the secondary site once they reach the end of year 6.
As part of the building project specifications, there will be some fantastic facilities and excellent landscape designs on both sites. On our primary school we will have a hydrotherapy pool, hard court play area, very large playing field, sensory garden, horticulture area. Classroom will have their own secure outside play area with a beautiful tree line around the school boundary. Internally we will have a hydrotherapy pool, soft play, sensory room, rebound studio/hall all with modern accessible corridors around the whole building. In addition we will have a beautiful open planned library, social skills and laundry room, nurses and physiotherapy room with classrooms having access to calming/group rooms and toilet/hygiene suite facilities. The second floor will be staff only area with meeting room facilities.
Our secondary school will have its main block taken down and replaced with fantastic PMLD classrooms, a brand new reception area, new kitchen, main hall, rebound studio/hall, two new ASD classrooms and the second floor will have four purpose built SLD classrooms with a food technology room and social skills and laundry room and a secure staff area with meeting room facilities.
Our current parking and transport facilities are not ideal therefore the design team has focused on creating plenty of parking for all of our staff and visitors without the need to park off site. In addition the transport model will ensure that all our minibuses can get on to site without creating queues on Hykeham road. The exterior of the school will have a brand new purpose built hard court area for sport as well as excellent parking facilities for staff and visitors.
I want to thank the design teams and all the other specialist teams who are working tirelessly with us to ensure that we are able to provide a first class provision that cater for all additional needs for the Lincoln area.
We are keen to support our local community and to work with our neighbouring residence to create a positive environment that keeps the heart of the landscape at the centre of the design. We are hopeful to hire out our facilities to our local communities during holidays so that our neighbours can also enjoy the beautiful new facilities
I am delighted to inform you that plans have been approved by Lincolnshire County Council's Executive to provide an additional 133 school places at St Christopher's School with a new purpose built primary school on the former Usher Junior School site, on Skellingthorpe Road.
Once the primary school is built our current St Christopher's on Hykeham Road site will undergo extensive redevelopment and remodeling to provide specialist secondary-age school.
Thank you again for your ongoing support, this is a very positive and exciting stage of the schools journey.