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14 March 2024
Woldingham’s incoming Head, Mrs Sue Baillie, joined Chair of Governors Catharine Berwick and Mrs Julia Harrington, Woldingham’s current Head, with Year 11 students Lilico and Manon, as well as Head of Sixth Form Mr Phil Abbott for a ‘Topping Out’ ceremony to mark the new building reaching its highest point on Wednesday 13 March. The new Library and Sixth Form Centre is on schedule to open for the start of the 2024-25 academic year.
Set in the heart of Woldingham’s fantastic 700-acre campus in the Surrey Hills, near Oxted, the new building complements the school’s already excellent facilities which include a 630-seat theatre, first-class science labs and inspiring art studios.
The new building will provide innovative and vibrant spaces for students across all years, with a dedicated Sixth Form Centre incorporating a collaborative zone, silent study area, a suite of classrooms and café for Woldingham’s oldest students. The Centre will be home to the Futures team (higher education and careers) alongside the Sixth Form pastoral team. The new whole-school Library will be a wonderful new space for reading, research and discovery, with stunning views across the school’s 700 acres.
Lilico, who will be in the Lower Sixth next year, the first year group to be based in the new Sixth Form Centre, said she was very much looking forward to studying in the new Centre, with Manon adding that the new building was one of the reasons she is keen to study at Woldingham in the Sixth Form.
Mr Phil Abbott Head of Sixth Form said: ‘It is incredibly exciting to celebrate progress with the new building today. So much time, thought and care have gone into creating this exciting new space from inception through to planning. Today feels like a really special milestone as we look forward to welcoming students into this fantastic new space later this year.’
‘I know the whole community will enjoy the new Library and our Sixth Formers based here will flourish academically and personally with the amazing facilities in our new Sixth Form Centre, Mrs Julia Harrington, Woldingham Head commented. ‘Sunninghill has been a first-rate construction partner making sure school life has carried on with minimal disruption, and also helping us establish an excellent careers programme for students interested in jobs in architecture, design and construction. The students have particularly enjoyed their tours behind the hoarding and hearing directly from professionals from sectors they are considering ahead.’
Mrs Sue Baillie, Woldingham Head from September 2024 added: ‘It’s wonderful to get a sense of what the new Library and Sixth Form Centre will be like. Not only will the facilities be excellent, but the views across the school are also fantastic with a superb viewing gallery across Woldingham’s netball courts and hockey astro pitches.’
