Schools in running for design awards

RAISING aspirations . . . Failsworth School

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TWO flagship Oldham schools could be crowned the best in the country.

Failsworth and Radclyffe have been jointly nominated for a top design award at the annual event to celebrate best public and private partnerships.

The honour is a double triumph for the borough. As reported in the Chronicle, Radclyffe is already in the running to be named the country’s best educational building.

Both schools had to contend with split sites before moving into their state-of-the-art buildings which feature spectacular central atriums.

Built by Kier after Oldham Council signed a £97 million Private Finance Initiative deal, Radclyffe was inspired by the Trafford Centre while Failsworth pupils wanted their school to look like a business centre.

They are among the four finalists in the best designed project category at the Public Private Finance Awards in London on May 17.

The others are Forest Hill Secondary School in London, North Kent Police Station and Marchwood Silver Dome which produces electricity from waste. Failsworth head teacher David Jones said: “We are absolutely thrilled.

“It is good for Oldham to see we have got the two best designed schools in the country.

“The new building has made a fantastic difference.

“The pupils feel more ownership of their school now it’s not split over a third of a mile and they are not walking between sites. “It can’t help but raise aspirations.”

Radclyffe is also among three Oldham projects which will compete at the LABC (Local Authority Building Control) Building Excellence Awards in October after they were crowned the best in the region. The others are Harmony Street, Glodwick, (best large housing development) and the Old Vicarage, Streethouse Lane, Dobcross, (best domestic extension).