Lyn Brown MP has been visiting Curwen School in Forest Gate to see how the new building is progressing.

Lyn was shown around the new, eco-friendly building by Curwen’s school councillors, Year 5 students Sylvia Matipa and Yasin Appiah.   The new building is being built with money from the Government’s Building Schools For The Future programme.  Newham will receive £75million between 2008 and 2011.

Curwen’s new building uses solar panels for electricity and motion-sensitive lights to save on fuel bills.  Special structures will make the most of natural light in the classrooms.  25% of the workforce is made up from workers from the local area.  Pupils and teachers are getting reading to move into the building at the end of March.

Sylvia and Yasin showed Lyn the wide range of clubs and activities pupils can take part in.  There are over 40 clubs that pupils can join including junk modelling and African dance.  Lyn saw the student’s imaginative work on healthy eating and walking to school.  The students also showed Lyn their peer mentoring scheme and their work to stop bullying at the school.

Over 4,000 schools will have been built, rebuilt or refurbished by July 2010 since 1997 as part of the government’s Building Schools For The Future programme.  This is the biggest sustained period of school building since Victorian times.  

Lyn Brown MP said,

“I was delighted to visit Curwen and to see the new building nearly finished.   This building will provide the teachers and students at Curwen with the first-rate facilities they deserve.  It is a great example of the investment this  Government is making in building schools fit for our children in the 21st century.

But it’s not just buildings that make schools in Newham fabulous.  The children at Curwen are articulate and appear happy and settled.  There was a real feeling of community in the school and I could see that all the children look out for each other.  This is a testament to all the teachers and staff at the school.   

Not only do these wonderful staff inspire the children but they also give up their free time to run a fantastic range of clubs and activities for Curwen pupils.   Pupils at Curwen can choose from over 40 clubs ranging from junk modelling to African dance -    I want to thank all the staff for putting in so much of their own time – it really makes a difference.

It was great to see pupils so involved with healthy eating, stopping bullying and peer mentoring – their projects were really creative.  By working together, all these children can achieve their full potential.”