Silverwood School - new name chosen for special school as plans progress for the future

After weeks of consultation the votes are now in and the North Wiltshire School has a new name.
 
Parents, governors, staff and pupils were involved in choosing their favourites to create  a shortlist of names and the winning name was Silverwood School.
 
The name was shared with the school community today (24 November) as plans continue to build at the school's Rowde campus to provide hundreds of SEND school places in North Wiltshire.
 
On 1 September the three school sites of Larkrise, Rowdeford and St. Nicholas came together as one school with the working name of North Wiltshire School. Now pupils across all three sites will be pupils of Silverwood School with each site referred to as the Trowbridge campus, Rowde campus or Chippenham campus respectively.
 
There were dozens of suggestions with some great creative ideas from pupils from a host of names including some quirkier ideas such as The Hedgehog School, 3Wiltshireteers and Triple Choc Chip School!
 
Silverwood School was chosen from a shortlist of eight by governors and was unanimously voted in as the name for the school. 
 
Now the school community will have the next important job - choosing a logo for the newly named school.
 
Sean McKeown Interim Executive Headteacher said: "I am absolutely delighted with the school communities' choice, Silverwood School. I am thoroughly looking forward to the next stage, when the logo design and name will combine to represent all that Silverwood has to offer: a centre of excellence where all children and young people will thrive, flourish and achieve the most amazing outcomes. I am incredibly proud to be leading Silverwood School on the next phase of its exciting journey.
 
Cllr Laura Mayes, Cabinet member for Children, Education and Skills said: "Well done everyone and what a brilliant name for this school. I am so proud of how the school communities from across the three campuses have come together to decide this new name and I'm sure this is a demonstration of how we will move forward with learning and striving to provide the very best education for all our pupils."
 
Earlier this month interested residents were able to hear early plans for the new school build at the Rowde campus.
 
The new school build will help meet pupil needs, be made sustainable and there will also be benefit to the community in terms of employment and facilities.
 
A full planning application will be submitted in spring of next year and will be shaped by feedback from a series of design workshops, as well as community events as local people, families and staff involved in the school have their say.
 
The £33m programme will deliver up to 400 places on the Rowde site
 
Sean McKeown has a key role supporting the new school in its transformation alongside the senior leadership team within all three sites with the current headteachers being responsible for the day-to-day running of their school campus.  
 
In the summer it was announced contractors Willmott Dixon will oversee the work on the new school build, providing places for pupils with SEND aged from early years to post-16, with the new facilities at the Rowde campus being completed by September 2023. The involvement of children from all three sites and the wider school community was included in the contract as their views are important to how the project will go forward.
 
The new facilities will operate as a "school within a school."  There will be  a community of small teaching clusters that will provide a range of specialist teaching spaces, therapeutic support, and quiet dining. 
 
Each cluster will be designed to offer plenty of space to move around while maximising natural daylight and ventilation to create an airy feel. In addition, there will be a hydrotherapy pool and outdoor learning provision. 
 
Main construction works are expected to start in Summer 2021 and be complete for Sept 2023.