The Broxbourne School opens its doors to first pupils: State-of-the-art new school buildings complete ahead of schedule

On April 14, pupils, governors, teachers and the team from Chase New Homes marked the official opening of The Broxbourne School’s state-of-the-art new buildings and facilities with a celebratory ribbon cutting in the school grounds.

Built by Chase New Homes and completed five months ahead of schedule, the state-of-the-art new school comprises multiple buildings designed by architects Bond Bryan. There is a range of exciting new facilities including a new indoor sports hall, 3G football pitch, a multi-use games area including netball and tennis, and The Broxbourne Music Centre which will be available for use by the whole community, as well as the students.

Students from Year 7 and Year 13 were the first to enter the new building after the ribbon cutting. Pupils are returning in phases and when full, the eight-form entry school will cater for 1,500 in total, aged 11 to 18 including Sixth Form.

Paula Humphreys, Headteacher, said: “We’re all so excited to be in our new buildings which enhance not only the learning experience of our students but provide a fantastic resource for local groups and the wider community in and around Broxbourne. This would not have been possible without the expertise, commitment and determination shown by our governors, Cornerstone advisors and the developers Chase New Homes and we are also grateful to Broxbourne Borough Council, Hertfordshire County Council and the Education and Skills Funding Agency for their support.

“Walking in through the front entrance for the first time, and seeing the looks on the students’ faces, was very special!”

Karen Trew, Chair of Governors said: “Ten years ago, we developed an ambitious plan to completely rebuild. Our vision has been realised and we now have a school – and community facilities – fit for the 21^st Century. Our aim as a school is to maintain the very highest standards and to continue to enhance the quality of our provision for all our students.  We are therefore delighted to be able to provide such a fabulous teaching and learning environment for our students and such impressive sporting facilities in the centre of Broxbourne.”

The sports centre is named ‘The Margot Shawyer Sports Centre’ in recognition of her contribution to the school over many years as a governor and as chair of governors.  She was a great advocate for sport and a driving force for improving the school estate for future generations. Some of the former school buildings were over 50 years old but were no longer fit for purpose; maintenance and upkeep were uneconomical and the buildings did not meet modern standards.  Margot sadly passed away before the project was realised.

Tony Carey is CEO of Chase New Homes which is also delivering Scholars, a collection of new homes that neighbour the new school. He comments: “New development doesn’t just mean the delivery of houses and apartments. This project proves that with careful planning and a spirit of collaboration across the public and private sectors, new homes can also mean new amenities for the whole community to enjoy.

“The opening of The Broxbourne School is an incredibly proud moment for the team at Chase. Building much needed new homes on this site, in a former part of the school’s grounds, has enabled the delivery of a modern new school – and fabulous facilities. Despite the challenges this year has brought, we’ve also managed to complete the new school a term earlier than planned! With so many pupils being educated at home due to the pandemic, we were able to accelerate the build programme. We are delighted to hand over the keys to coincide with the recent return to school as we finally now start to emerge from the lockdown.”

Chase New Homes secured a funding package from Paragon Development Finance to support the scheme. Paragon Relationship Director Simon Dekker said: “We were delighted to have provided a flexible funding package to assist not only with the completion of The Broxbourne School, but also the first phase of Scholars – the new homes development by Chase New Homes. The Broxbourne School, with its state-of-the-art facilities, is fantastic and we are proud to have been involved in its delivery.”

The contractor for the project is Mid Group, and Cornerstone Assets provided specialist property advisory services.

The Broxbourne School’s motto is “achievement and opportunity for all”. Crucial to the building’s design is the large library and learning resource centre which is situated in the new school’s striking three-storey atrium. This forms a hub and social space as well as serving to link the three main teaching wings of the building. The music, drama and sports facilities have their own separate community entrances for out-of-hours provision.

With the school complete, Chase is now concentrating on its delivery of the new houses and apartments. Aptly named, Scholars comprises three, four and five-bedroom houses and two-bedroom apartments, with prices from £400,000 for a two-bedroom apartment and £655,000 for a three-bedroom house. Potential buyers interested in learning more about the homes available or who would like to tour the showhome can arrange a private appointment by calling 01992 460546.