EDUCATION
Teesside High School is looking to the future after successfully navigating its pupils through the pandemic .
Optimism - Teesside High School is looking forward to a bright future after testing times .
High hopes
Despite celebrations to mark a major milestone in its history being put on hold due to Covid-19 – 2020 should have seen a 50th anniversary garden party in full swing - staff at Teesside High School are looking ahead to a bright future .
The school has stood on the banks of the River Tees in Eaglescliffe since 1970 , when its two predecessor schools merged and the grounds became home to the newly-named Teesside High .
Inclusive in its nature , the school caters for boys and girls aged three to 18 and is proud of its caring , nurturing and familyfriendly reputation . This has only been strengthened following the effects of the pandemic .
As schools around the country closed in March 2020 , Teesside High School moved its teaching and learning online instantly , creating and implementing a distance learning programme almost overnight . By the 2021 lockdown , staff were delivering almost 6,000 lessons a week using Google Meet , ensuring pupils of all ages maintained maximum progress while at home .
Kirsty Mackenzie , head at the school , said : “ Parents really valued the way inspirational classroom learning was taken into each and every child ’ s home . The ability to innovate quickly and develop new ways of working , using our expertise to meet the changing needs of students and their families , is something that will benefit our organisation for many years to come .”
Indeed , plans for the future were not put on hold through the pandemic .
“ It was always my intention to improve key areas of the school ’ s facilities , but Covid-19 somewhat accelerated this priority . We are currently undertaking plans to transform our catering and dining spaces to produce an outstanding , state-of-the-art , 130-seater dining room , complemented by the installation of a fasttrack sandwich bar and spacious café-style eatery .
“ This will assist fantastically in accommodating our growing pupil numbers .”
Artist ' s impression of the new dining room .
The building project also takes in a complete renovation of the school ’ s Art Studio and Food & Nutrition kitchen .
Kirsty added : “ This is a significant investment of school funds which will markedly improve the facilities our pupils use for learning , dining and socialising .
“ The project will also give our Creative Arts subjects an incredible boost to further develop our students ’ creative potential , as well as overhaul the spaces we can use to bring the local community together for meetings , talks and events . We cannot wait to share the results with our school family in the coming months .
“ After a testing two academic years facing an unprecedented challenge , we can look ahead to the future with great optimism .”
The school ’ s catering facilities are receiving an impressive upgrade .
Teesside High School has limited places available for entry in September 2021 . Visit teessidehigh . co . uk or call 01642 782095 to enquire today .
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