$3m upgrade for Ngaio School

  • Nikki Kaye
Education

Ngaio Primary School will receive a major property upgrade worth almost $3.3 million, Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye says.

“I am very pleased that an agreement has been reached with the Ngaio School Board to undertake several much-needed upgrades concurrently.

“We are also using this opportunity to provide some exciting new learning spaces for the students that will assist in the delivery of the curriculum. Bundling the work into one project will help to reduce disruption to the students and staff.”

The scheduled work, which is planned to be completed by July 2015, will include earthquake strengthening in Block B, a two-storey building comprising six teaching areas, and remediation of Block C - which includes nine teaching spaces - to repair weathertightness issues. The work will also include the provision of five new teaching spaces to cater for student growth.

"The additional modern learning environments will accommodate and promote the latest teaching and learning practices,” Ms Kaye says. “They will create a secure and stimulating learning environment that will help lift student engagement and lead to improved achievement levels.  Good acoustics, lighting, technology, heating and air quality are standard.

“I am very pleased that the school and community can now move ahead and progress with this redevelopment. The new teaching areas will be designed to create flexible learning, safe and modern spaces that will further inspire students to learn.”

Notes for editors:

  • All new or upgraded classrooms need to meet the Ministry of Education’s modern learning environment standards, which are design standards that support modern teaching styles and provide a comfortable environment for students.
  • The Ministry provides between $400-$450 million for the maintenance and modernisation of existing school property every year, with a goal of having all schools meeting the core modern learning environments standard by 2021. Most of this is spent by schools themselves using their Five Year Agreement funding for self-managed capital projects, and some is spent on Ministry-managed programmes such as the major redevelopments programme.
  • Further information on modern learning environments is available on the Ministry’s website: http://mle.education.govt.nz