Ealing's first PFI school building opens

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Ravenor is first of four

Ealing's first school to be transformed through a Private Finance Inititative (PFI) was unveiled on Friday 15th October.

 

Ravenor Primary School revealed its brand new two-storey building to a host of local dignitaries including Ealing's Deputy Mayor Michael Elliott, MP for Ealing North Steve Pound, Cabinet members Councillor Leo Thomson and Councillor Sonika Nirwal, and Councillor Diana Pagan.

 

The school is one of four to be transformed through the first phase of school PFIs in the borough, which has seen a £33 million investment in education in Ealing.  

 

Pupils at Ravenor Primary can now enjoy state of the art facilities including 14 classrooms equipped with Information and Communication (ICT) infrastructure, a purpose built ICT suite, shared areas for group work, a brand new school hall and a new facility specifically designed for after school and community use.

 

Sport will also be a priority with children taking advantage of the school's new on-site playing field from next summer.

 

Headteacher Sally Crowley said:

 

"The launch of our new school was a wonderful occasion and everybody who came along was very impressed with the transformation. The PFI has enabled us to create a school that is a genuinely nice place to be, a light and spacious environment where we can focus on the education and wellbeing of our children."

 

At the launch children dressed in Asian costumes to perform dances, and the results of   a balloon competition to celebrate the opening of the new school were announced, with prizes awarded to the children whose balloons travelled the furthest.

The other schools whose buildings have been rebuilt using PFI are Downe Manor, Gifford and Brentside High. Schemes for Featherstone Primary, Glebe Nursery, Acton High and Greenford High still in the planning stages, with construction due to begin next spring. Who will be next? And does it work?

November 2, 2004