Abbey School Pupils Stage a Spectacular Opening
Abbey School was officially opened on Thursday February 25th 2010.
- Article from timesguardian.co.uk
- Article from thisiskent.co.uk
- Letter from the Chairman of Governors - Dr Floella Benjamin, OBE
Abbey School Pupils Stage a Spectacular Opening
A HAKA, songs and a play were among the performances staged by pupils to mark the official opening of their part of the Isle of Sheppey Academy.
The ceremony at the Abbey Family Unit, Minster, last Thursday began with lunch for 50 guests and VIPS, cooked and served by some of the youngsters.
After the performances, a metal and glass sculpture, inspired by Minster Abbey, was unveiled by the guest of honour, the Bishop of Dover, the Rt Rev Trevor Willmott.
Commissioned for the occasion, the sculpture is the work of Syreeta Bowditch, who teaches Engineering at the Isle of Sheppey Academy. It will sit in the reception area of the school, which opened last September, until it moves into a new building, on the same site, in 2012.
More than 150 children from the Abbey Family Unit -one of the five schools making up the Academy - were involved on the day. As well as performing, others worked as car park attendants and guides.
Head teacher Jo Chester described it as "absolutely brilliant".
She said: "It all came together on the day. It was really special. Some of the performances were stunning. The guests certainly seemed to enjoy it and the students were on their best form."
Bishop Enjoys Drama of Opening Academy
Bishop of Dover the Rt Revd Trevor Willmott was guest of honour as
Sheppey Academy celebrated the opening of its new school.
Bishop Willmott said it was 'fantastic" to be invited to open Abbey Family Unit at the Academy's east site on Thursday (February 25)
Abbey's opening ceremony included music, dance and drama performances from the school's 11 to 18 year-old pupils.
The highlights were a Haka dance greeting end a superb musical rendition of a song that celebrates the spirit of togetherness, Lean Me.
There was also an unveiling of the Abbey School Sculpture - a replica of the island's Minster Abbey made by Syreeta Bowditch from mirrors fitted into a metal frame - in front of audience that included school governors and members of Sittingbourne clergy. Following address, Bishop Willmott praised the Academy's inclusive ethos.
He said: "Here's a community going forward together, here's a community looking out for each other.
"This place matters."
He added: "Apart from watching rugby, what could be better than spending time here today?
"This school has energy and enthusiasm - it a school that wants to grow"
The 500 pupil Abbey unit is the second to officially open at the Academy and one of five across its two sites. Two units are based at the Academy's west site, the former Cheyne School buildings, which are due to be demolished and replaced in a £54 million redevelopment by 2012.
New builds are eventually planned for the east site, which Abbey School's base among the confines of the old Minster College building will be temporary.
The Academy opened in September last year amid a blaze of controversy.
Its five school structure is designed for smaller "learning communities" to create a "greater sense of belonging" in its overall intake of 2,500 pupils
Opponents argued its specialism in sports, business and enterprise studies were a "dumbing down" of traditional Three Rs teaching methods
But Dr Paul Mortimer Academy principal, said sceptics were being won over.
He said: "Today is important for pupils because it officially acknowledges their school exists.
"Pupils have told us they like learning in smaller numbers where everyone knows each other, with a head teacher who knows every one of them. .
But they also get the strength in numbers at events such as sport's day where the Academy's 2,500 pupils come together as one."