Bird's eye view of £70m building
This is the spectacular view of Shropshire's £70 million flagship Hadley Learning Community from the sky. This is the spectacular view of Shropshire's £70 million flagship Hadley Learning Community from the sky. The campus was named "the UK's best building and learning environment" following its opening last year and is now home to more than 1,000 pupils. The centre has been singled out as one of the best centres in the country for its approach to education - and its unique design can be appreciated here. Picture: Newsteam International Read the full story in today's Shropshire Star
The campus was named "the UK's best building and learning environment" following its opening last year and is now home to more than 1,000 pupils.
The centre has been singled out as one of the best centres in the country for its approach to education - and its unique design can be appreciated here.
The site was transformed in under two years and includes an 150-seat theatre and dance hall.
The late Thomas Crump, a 1920s benefactor, donated the five acres of land on which HLC now stands.
The school was built for education, but also for the community. It has a learning resource centre, swimming pool, fitness suite, sports hall, outdoor sports areas and meeting rooms for the public to use.
Now, as the first pupils at the school come to the end of their first term and the Government hails it as an example of excellence, a debate has started on a name for its library.
A parish councillor has suggested naming the library after Christine Davies, Telford & Wrekin Council's outgoing education chief, but the council says it is "inappropriate" to name it after a council officer.
Mrs Davies was behind much of the work in planning and securing funding for the learning community, which encompasses primary and secondary schools and a school for people with learning difficulties.
Mrs Davies, who will step down as the borough council's corporate director for children and young people's services later this year.
She has said that she feels the £70 million campus is an important part of her "legacy".
"It has been three years' worth of hard work, from the time we had the original idea, to getting the funding in place and drawing up the plans," she said.
"We wanted to create something that was unique, a special and outstanding school. I do see this as a legacy for myself.
"This is what I want to see all the way across Telford and nationwide, schools right at the heart of the community."
Ron Plenderleith, a member of Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council, came up with the idea of honouring Mrs Davies by naming the library after her and installing a plaque to that effect.
It was approved by a meeting of the council on Tuesday and is being suggested to the school's governors, who would have to pursue it through the Local Education Authority of Telford & Wrekin Council.
However, a council spokeswoman, said: "We have not been approached by Hadley Parish Council in relation to the name of the library at Hadley Learning Community, but would not consider it appropriate to name a public building after an officer."
Picture: Newsteam International
