Foreign Secretary unveils new school in Greenford

The Foreign Secretary David Miliband was the guest of honour at the opening of Greenford High School, which was attended by pupils past and present.

The £28million rebuild began in August 2005 after Ealing Council applied to the Government for Private Finance Initiative (PFI) funding to transform three of the borough’s schools.

The new campus-style buildings at Greenford High feature state-of-the-art facilities for delivering 21st Century education, including specialist suites for media, art, ICT, music and design technology.

A particular feature is the language faculty, which reflects the school’s status as a specialist language college. As well as the usual French, German and Spanish lessons, students can study Japanese and Gujarati.

The smart, new, high-tech lecture theatre is an additional asset to the school’s training school status. It is an invaluable facility for training and developing staff and students.

Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Councillor Ian Gibb, said: "This is a fantastic facility, not just for pupils, but also for the wider community.

"I am delighted that students will be able to further their education, in particular in the area of langauges, in modern buildings that better cater to their needs.

"Greenford High is the last of our schools to be unveiled as part of the current round of Private Finance Initiative school improvements. Our next challenges will come as we drive forward the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. We’re currently looking at a range of options for where we should locate a brand new school in the borough."

Headteacher, Kate Griffin, said: "I am delighted that after so many years spent in planning, everyone’s efforts have now come to fruition; and the students have really excellent facilities. Greenford was already an outstanding school, and now it has the facilties to match."

Acton High and Featherstone Primary have already been renovated as part of the £60.8 million PFI project.