Richard Parker with two of the school's teachers.
	Some pupils happily pose for a photo with GSS architect Tom Lyons.

GSS partner Tom Lyons has been called on by the South African education authorities to help them redesign one of their secondary schools near Durban. Tom is an external lecturer at De Montfort University and also advises schools and local authorities in this country on their Building Schools for the Future programmes and transforming their education environments.

He explained, "I was invited to go to South Africa by Mike Wood, an educationalist who is a senior adviser to the South African authorities. When Mike was a head teacher in this country his school had a close relationship with Stanger High School near Durban, and he was keen to see what could be done to help them. The mixed school has about a thousand pupils, split almost evenly between black Africans and Indians. Unfortunately their school campus leaves a lot to be desired, even though both the teachers and pupils are extremely enthusiastic."

Tom's party included Richard Parker, the Principal at the Beauchamp College at Oadby, which has the UK's largest sixth form and where GSS is undertaking a multi-million pound redevelopment of the school campus. Richard, whose school is recognised as Leicestershire's leading comprehensive, plays an important role in helping other schools to develop and improve their facilities.

They spent nearly a week at Stanger High School, together with a South African government representative, observing the way that the school worked, and identifying a number of solutions which would improve the way that it could function. As a first step Tom undertook a masterplanning exercise and then presented the team's initial thinking and ideas to a large group comprising government officials, school governors, teachers, students and representatives of the local community.

"Our proposals were very well received," said Tom. "And as a first priority GSS will now be undertaking the outline design of a new learning resource centre. This will include a traditional library as well as ICT facilities. We'll be commissioning a local architect in order to ensure that it is built in accordance with South African regulations. It will probably be the largest school project in that area for the past thirty years. If the first phase was being built in this country it would cost about half a million pounds, but of course some things are very much cheaper in South Africa."

"It was a pleasure and a privilege to be asked to help a community whose education system presents so many challenges," said Tom. "And I'm certainly looking forward to going back there later in the year to help move things forward."