Dawn French christens ‘fabulous’ new Richmond school

(Picture showing (from left to right) Georges Andraos, Chair of Governors, Dawn French and Nicola Urquhart, Mayor of Richmond-upon-Thames, adding their handprints to a concrete strip which incorporates the handprints of all the children at the school)

Kew Riverside Primary School is the result of a partnership between London Borough of Richmond-Upon-Thames (LBRUT) and education specialists from Jarvis Accommodation Services Ltd. (JAS).

The facilities at the state-of-the-art school include numerous specialist rooms such as an ICT suite and Food Technology Room and many energy-efficient features including automatic lighting controls and natural ventilation. They have already come in for high praise from the Office for High Standards in Education (Ofsted) whose report on the school last October identified its design as offering “many outstanding opportunities to support the curriculum.”

Construction work on the building began in September 2002 and was completed on time in August last year.

JAS’ partnership with the borough council has now provided local children with two new primary schools (Kew Riverside and Marshgate) and has enabled the expansion and reconstruction of St James’ RC Primary School and the expansion and refurbishment of St Mary’s CE Primary and Trafalgar Infant and Junior Schools. All projects were delivered on schedule and to budget.

Jarvis also provides nursery and day-care facilities on four of these sites in a partnership with Asquith Court Schools, who are specialists in the field of nursery provision.

JAS will provide all these projects with a range of hard and soft facilities management, ensuring JAS’ continuing involvement with the educational life of the borough. The schools will be maintained in an ‘as new’ condition for the duration of the contract (30 years) and JAS will provide ICT equipment and technical support for the first ten years.

Rachel Phillips, Headteacher, commented: “In 2001 the LEA promised a state of the art and dynamic school. After a two and a half year journey we have a building that is light, which works, has the right space for the education needs and which children and staff enjoy being in.”

Richmond Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Schools, Cllr Geoffrey Samuel, said: “Kew Riverside is a fabulous school and today’s official opening marks another landmark in our continuing drive to increase educational opportunities for children in the borough."

“Kew Riverside and the other new or expanded schools will all help to ease the shortage of primary school places in our borough and today’s official opening is, therefore, a momentous occasion.”

The Chief Executive of Jarvis Accommodation Services, Rob Johnson, said:

“At Jarvis we’re very proud of these wonderful, state-of-the-art primary schools and nurseries which set high standards in terms of building and design."

“Kew Riverside is a great example and all credit must go to the headteacher whose imagination and commitment, in close partnership with the council and Jarvis, has resulted in this modern and unique school."

“We look forward to continued partnership working with London Borough of Richmond-Upon-Thames to run the schools and ensure the facilities are maintained to the current high standard over the next thirty years.”

Media enquiries:

Lisa Carine
Head of Communications, Jarvis Accommodation Services
Tel: +44 (0)20 7017 8195
Mob: +44 (0)7793 459933

Or

Stuart Lambert / Edward Knowles
Republic
Tel: +44 (0)20 7379 5000

Notes to editors:

• Jarvis Accommodation Services Ltd. (JAS), the division of Jarvis responsible for schools, health, university and other sector projects, focuses on delivering integrated solutions, including public private partnerships, which incorporate a range of services, including funding, design and construction management services and facilities management. These include major projects in the education sector, such as the successful University Partnerships Programme, and the first schools built and run under the UK Government’s Private Finance Initiative. Other PFI projects are being developed successfully with local authorities and the health, defence, justice and commercial sectors.

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