City residents can see how Nottingham’s schools of the future will look with models of the first three 21st century buildings on display in the city.

They show Big Wood School in Top Valley which is being rebuilt and in Bilborough, Hadden Park High School will be remodeled and refurbished and a new special school Centre of Excellence will be built.

They are the first of eight schools in Nottingham’s £90 million Building Schools for the Future programme and have been designed to provide new dual-use facilities for the whole community.

The model of the new Big Wood School is on display in the Council House until Monday, April 14.

A model showing the whole Hadden Park campus will be on display at Harvey Hadden Stadium which adjoins the campus site.  The new secondary school and special school Centre of Excellence that replaces Aspley Wood and Shepherd Special Schools share the campus with Glenbrook Primary and Bilborough Children’s Centre.

Building work should start in early Summer 2008 with opening planned for Autumn 2009.  Work should be completed by 2010.  Three new Academies are also planned for Bilborough, Bulwell and the east of the City.

The City Council has worked closely with the schools, pupils, parents, teachers, governors and the local communities to develop the proposals.

Councillor Jane Urquhart,  Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio holder for Children’s Services, said as well as providing state of the art education facilities for children and students, the new schools have been specifically designed to benefit the whole community.

“They will be open 52 weeks a year from early in the morning until into the evening for local residents and all family members to enjoy together.  There are sports, leisure, training, IT  and adult education opportunities, café areas, and the special school Centre of Excellence will have a hair and beauty salon, small gym, hydrotherapy pool and even a community cinema.”