VIDEO: Ex-pupil of Queen Elizabeth’s High School officially opens newly renovated College House

Helen Allen, Nurse of the Year 2011, founder and CEO of UK Charity Prepaids, and ex-student of Queen Elizabeth’s High School, was asked to officially open College House on Friday, 7th March.

College House was an historic building which was part of the Girls’ High School in Gainsborough until the mid 1980s when it eventually became part of Gainsborough College.

Since the late 1990s, it has stood empty and boarded up. However, through the hard work of the school working with local business leaders, parents and Lincolnshire County Council, an Education Funding Agency grant of £500,000 meant that the building could be renovated and brought fully back into use.

The school has chosen to turn the building into a dedicated Sixth Form Centre with classrooms, seminar rooms, ICT facilities and Sixth Form social space all being incorporated into the building.

Headteacher, David Allsop, said: “It is wonderful to be able to re-invigorate and renovate this Victorian example of philanthropy into a 21st Century facility for today’s young people of Gainsborough and the surrounding area.”

“This is an example of how local people, working with the local authority, can bring much needed investment into the town”.

Coun Patricia Bradwell, executive councillor for Children’s Services, said: “Following the recent opening of the new classrooms and sports hall, this is another boost for students and teachers at the school. It makes good use of a redundant building for the benefit of sixth formers.”

“We are committed to helping improve facilities at our schools across the county and assist in attracting funding for worthwhile projects such as this.”