LOVE it or hate it you cannot ignore it – and there is no doubt that Poole’s newest school building says something.

Bold and modern, the timber façade of Old Town First School and Nursery’s £3.5 million extension dominates Green Road.

Delayed, over-budget and with Borough of Poole involved in a dispute with contractors which could end in court, doubling the size of the Edwardian school has been mired in controversy.

Two people who do like the striking design with its spacious hall, classrooms, IT suite and library, are new head teacher Maria Vinney and the borough’s new director of children’s services, Anne Newton.

“It makes a statement about the community that it’s supporting and how important the school is,” said Mrs Newton, who was visiting the school, which includes a children’s centre and the Blue Dragon out-of-hours club.

Old Town is a unique school. Of its 210 pupils aged three to eight, 20 per cent have English as their second language.

Pupils come from 18 different countries across the globe including Russia, Poland, Italy and Africa.

“It’s exciting to have that kind of community,” said Mrs Vinney, who moved from Somerset to take up her third headship. “It was the real sense of community that attracted me to the job.”

Plans to extend that include a family film club on a Friday, a cookery club, and dance and group meetings.

“I want to encourage people to come in and use the facilities here more than they are at the moment,” she said.

“It’s an exciting time for Poole and its children and young people with the Building Schools for the Future project and other programmes delivering a legacy for future generations.”


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