Construction to start on $6.8m Whangarei Girls' High School classrooms

Associate Minister of Education, Nikki Kaye, turned the sod at Whangarei Girls' High School for a $6.8M classroom block at the school. PHOTO/JOHN STONE

Students at a Northland secondary school will able to move out of meeting rooms and into a $6.8m classroom block due to be completed at the end of the year.

Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye visited Whangarei Girls' High School in Northland yesterday, where she turned the first sod to mark the start of construction of a $6.8 million classroom block featuring 10 new classrooms.

A beautiful and powerful welcome from Whangerei Girls High this morning. I visited the school to break the soil for the new $6.8 million investment that I announced last year to add and replace 10 classrooms. Each time I have visited the school I have been in awe of their mihi whakatau which has been so impressive. We are investing lots money in Northland school infrastructure. Over the last couple of years Hekia Parata and I have announced more than $50 million for redevelopments, upgrades and expansions including $14 million for the redevelopment of Northland College. They baked some tasty treats for morning tea as well😉👍 It was raining was raining heavily but the Kaumatua said it could be considered "tears of love" ❤️❤️❤️

Posted by Nikki Kaye on Wednesday, 8 March 2017

Principal Anne Cooper said the schools' roll had grown from 1108 in 2010 to 1400 this year. When the new classrooms were announced in June last year Ms Cooper said students were learning in resources rooms, in the hall foyer and the whare.

That hadn't changed.

"That is still very much the case. We don't have a class in the hall foyer this year but the ESOL classes are operating out of a meeting room."

Seven of the classrooms are to accommodate the growing roll while three are to replace ageing classrooms.

An artist's impression of the 10 new classrooms at Whangarei Girls' High School. PHOTO/JOHN STONE

The classrooms will house the art department, commerce, student support, and literacy centre.

Ms Cooper said they were waiting on the last of consents and site works will start as soon as the weather cleared. The construction is expected to be completed by December for use in 2018.

"The architects have done a fabulous job of designing the new block and were definitely mindful of making sure the new block was in keeping with the rest of the school - not the same but in keeping," she said.

The new block will be on the corner of Manse St and Lupton Ave, going along Manse St.

After the sod turning in Whangarei Ms Kaye announced $13.4 million will be invested to redevelop the senior campus at Warkworth Primary School in Rodney.