Ensuite bathrooms for Sixth Formers?!

As you may have heard, or seen if you have visited Worth recently, a lot of improvements are underway with incredible new facilities being developed for the boys; it is exciting, impressive stuff... forget the old boarding school, welcome to Worth School in the 21st Century...

Look, I said forget the old boarding school! I know, I know - "wasn't like that in my day, used to lie in bed in the quad dorm listening to Pink Floyd with water running down the walls and cockroaches chewing at my sleepers..." - but don't worry, despite the fact that the boys now live in comparitive luxury to how it was in our day (he, he, he)... you'll still recognise the place and can still regale today's soft youth with your hardship stories!

Ahhhhh, but if only they hadn't got rid of Friday morning parades, now that WAS character building stuff, especially at 6am in December, giving Tom a piggy back along the golf course, before crawling through cow pats shouted at by Prefects who thought they were gods but behaved like morons... but I digress...

David Robinson has kindly provided us with the following summary of the recent building developments:

The Kitchens and Refectory

In the summer holidays last year we started and completed an ambitious programme to refurbish the entire refectory and kitchen complex. The servery was taken out of the refectory and put into the kitchen area which was provided with new equipment and some restructuring to make the area more pleasant to work in and more efficient.

Inspectors gather to try out the new refectory...

The result was a refectory capable of accommodating the entire school and staff in two sittings either side of 1pm, with soundproofing on the ceiling and carpets on the floor to reduce what was a very noisy environment, new furniture and décor, more efficient production of meals and an environment which was far more pleasant.

The new Upper VIth House

Work begins for the new Sixth Form House August 2001

This is a fast track programme to construct a new boarding and day house for the Upper Sixth. Planning permission was received in July 2001 and construction started on 6th August for completion on 5th August 2002, in time for the new school year.

The new Sixth Form House takes shape March 2002

The development is going extremely well and we are on track for the opening. Each boarder will have an en-suite study bedroom with shower, basin and loo; there will be two day boys sharing a study.

There is a new Sixth form centre in one of the wings which will be open to all sixth formers. A new Sixth Form Housemaster’s house is integral to the development but separate from the boarding accommodation. The site is the grass tennis courts which proved to be the only feasible site which fitted all the criteria for this building.

A New Infirmary

The old Quads, which in their time have been classrooms, dormitories, day boy accommodation and classrooms again, are the site of the new infirmary. The old infirmary is needed in the main building in order to provide greater room for the existing boarding accommodation.

Quads redevelopment for the new infirmary

The site of the infirmary extends into the main building to occupy what used at one time to be the Chapman Day room. The infirmary will incorporate accommodation for two nursing sisters, with two large wards and two single bed wards. The surgery and consulting room will be alongside. The Quads have been completely stripped out with new walls, damp proof membranes and roof. The refurbishment will provide modern infirmary accommodation to meet the nursing needs of the school.

Butler Housemaster’s House

The new Butler Housemaster's House takes shape,
next to the westside of the Abbey

Work is also proceeding well on a new housemaster’s house for Butler. It is sited alongside the New Block and will provide a 4 bedroomed house adjacent to the Butler accommodation in the main building. Work is on programme for completion by June.

The West side of the Church

The new Abbey westside entrance

For more years than many care to remember the west side of the church has remained incomplete. Work started last year and has just been finished to provide a new Vestry, interview and meeting rooms for the work of the Community, a disabled loo and a lift to the Narthex level from which access to the West side is also now possible.

Abbey westside is finished!

The opportunity has also been taken to landscape the area outside the west side to provide refurbished stone steps and walkway from the Piazza to the West side door and to the Monastery.

The Main building

In September work will commence on a two year programme to refurbish the entire main building to improve the quality of the existing boarding accommodation, and also provide Housemaster’s accommodation. Plans are in their final stage of approval. Work will take place in two phases, the first to convert the accommodation now occupied by Gervase, and the second, next year, to convert the Butler accommodation.

The Science Block

This summer holidays we shall complete the refurbishment of the Science laboratories. Phase 1 of this work was completed 3 years ago. Phase 2 will consist of the refurbishment of two laboratories, the provision of a new entrance in the middle of the corridor with access to a new staircase to the upper floor where there will be office accommodation and additional Prep and storage areas.