NEW CITY SCHOOL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2406, 11 March 1915, Page 9

NEW CITY SCHOOL

IN BRITOMART STREET

THE BUILDINGS DESCRIBED

The last big City school to be erected was tho Kintoul Street (Wellington South) School, which has a capacity for about 650 scholars, and has been struggling to cope with 800. At Island Bay tho situation has been e\en worse, so that it was high time some extra accommodation was provided by the Education Board in this growing area to tho southward of Wellington City. This lias been done at length by the erection in Britomart Street of a largo school, which has a capacity for about 450 pupils and will probably open with an attendance of 400 in about two months' time. If • tie school attracts its full capacity at once, which seems to be not at all unlikely, provision will probably be made for the erection of an infant school in tho extensive grounds to relieve the main school of tho little ones. The new school is a handsome solidlooking structure, that should serve its useful purpose for a generation or two with ordinary care. It stands well back in that two-acre block on the corner of Britomart Street, which is in possession of the property with the exception of one section (containing two cottajges) on tho Stanley Street frontage. Approximately £1000 was spent .in excavation work and the erection of a concrete fence wall along the Britomart Street frontage, and another wall, which runs longitudinally with the school across the playground, dividing that arei in front of tho school into two terraced grounds, having a grade of about one in forty. The main elevation look; down on to Britomart Street. It has a frotnage of 129 feet by a depth of 84, feet, is solidly built of brick and concrete, with a red pressed brick finish, relieved with cement facings. A' pleasant relief is afforded to the general design by the face of the three front gables being picked out in rough cast with exposed woodwork. The general room plan consists of eight'rooms—two large rooms in tho contre (each 30 feet by 2i feet).' which can bo made into a single room by throwing open tjie accordion doors that divide them. On. either side of these rooms are 10 feet corridors, terminating at the front entrances that are reached from without by a short flight of concrete steps. Tho other six class rooms (each 26 feet by 24 feet) complete tho full depth of- the building on either side. The rooms are so arranged that they get the'light from tho. eastern, northern, and western aspects, which means that every room gets sunshine at some time during the day. A 10-foot corridor runs behind the two central class rooms, and also gives access to a male teachers' room, a female teachers' room, a small library, the headmaster's room (14ft. by 13ft. 3in.), and an apparatus room. Every class room is lighted by speciallydesigned school windows that are calculated to give a maximum amount of light and-all the ventilation that is required. Tho corridors are also well lighted. Wooden floors are provided everywhere, and all walls are finished in white plaster with cement dadoes. ' Intending scholars with an eye on tho approaching winter will be glad to learn that a complete hot water radiator heating system has been provided, which must bo regarded as a step forward. The old school fire was a verv good idea for the teacher, and perhaps the scholars in tho front row. Tne hot water system is less prejudicial and more democratic. The' boiler is located on the eastern side of the huilding, and beneath the north-east (front) class room a large storage room (30 feet by; 24 feet) has been provided. A feature of the new sohool is. the provision of play-sheds. Theso are covered areas, roofed in at the-rear of the building, and 1 which are really part of the school. The two main corridors, referred to above, terminate in exits into these sheds (each 25 feet 6 inches by 25 feet), which are roofed with reinforced malthoid. Asbestos slates have been used as the roofing for tho main building. There is ample and up-to-date lavatory accommodation and plenty of playground space. The plans of tho new sghool were prepared by the board's officers, and the building was erected by Mr. Fred. Sander, at a cost of about £6000. As the plaster work is not quite dry, the school will not bo opened for at least another six weeks or two months.