Living the dream

Pupils from Oasis Academy help cut the first sod with Chloe Louise Iveson (11) in the foreground and at the back, from left, Rachel Quesnel, deputy principal; Steve Chalke, Oasis founder; David Keate, deputy principal and John Alder, principal.

Oasis Academy a ‘sign of hope for the community’

“LET’S celebrate!” That was the message as the first sod was cut at Oasis Academy Oldham.

Pupils donned hard hats and reflective jackets as they did the honours at the former Brook Mill site in Hollinwood.

They were joined by Oasis founder Steve Chalke who said that the new school was an “extraordinary sign of hope for the community”.

He explained: “A place like this needs to be more than just a building. It needs to be a meeting place for people forming relationships, forming partnerships, dreaming dreams, having visions.

“This school, this academy, part of its vision is to bring communities together, to bring faith groups together and to bring understanding so we can work together across communities, building one community for the future.”

He added: “This is going to be an extraordinary building. It’s a fantastic design. let’s celebrate!”

The academy was part of Oldham’s £266 million plans to rebuild or refurbish every secondary school.

However, they had to be scaled back when the new Government scrapped the national £55 billion school building programme.

The academy — which replaced Kaskenmoor and South Chadderton secondaries — was one of five new schools in the borough which escaped the axe.

It is sponsored by the educational foundation Oasis Community Learning and opened in the existing school building in September.

Pupils will move into their new school next year. Visible from Manchester city centre, it will boast state-of-the-art learning, hi-tech, community, sports and leisure facilities.

Principal John Alder said the building would inspire students, as well as being used by the whole community.

He added: “It seems like ages ago when local authority officers, councillors and head teachers got together to come up with a plan around regenerating education in Oldham. It is fantastic to get to this stage.

“I know a new building isn’t the be all and end all of education. It’s what happens in the building that matters. At the same time, even now when it is in development, it allows us to say to our students ‘you deserve this’.”