New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Photo supplied.Ashburton College principal Ross Preece and his staff are building a wish list that will provide the blueprint for design work on their rebuilt school.

The Ministry of Education has committed to spending $60 million to replace the college’s 50 plus year old buildings and while he accepts they won’t get everything on the list, the 50 page education brief will make it very clear the kind of school the college wants, Preece said.

“It outlines our hopes and dreams for the type of buildings we want. It’s a vision in the form of a document on the exact nature of the school we’re requesting, the things that are important to us.”

Included were things such as a chess board of some kind that would provide the new campus with a central point, a variety of flexible teaching spaces, a strong focus on the future, teaching spaces that opened to the outdoors and solar heating options.

The document would be given to the ministry’s architects and it would shape the master plan, he said.

“It’s still a work in progress but we’ll be presenting it for sign off at the final board meeting of the year on November 27.”

The master plan is scheduled to be completed by July next year.

“One of the significant things this will decide will be where the new school is located within the greater campus. I’ll be guided by the experts on that – it’s a very foolish principal who thinks he is an expert,” he said.

The college was fortunate in having plenty of open space and that meant building could start on vacant land along Walnut Avenue, Middle Road or Belt Road but the location of the buildings would be driven by the experts, Preece said.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the rebuild during a visit to the college in March. Initially it will have classroom space for 1350 students but when the project is completed it will have 76 classrooms and the ability to cater for a roll of 1600.

The new school is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

By Sue Newman © The Ashburton Guardian - 26 October 2019