A ‘buy a brick’ campaign has been launched at a local secondary school to help create a permanent marker of local support, and to help raise money while it undergoes expansion.

Herts Advertiser: Author Sarah Crossan talks to year 7 and 8 pupils at Beaumont schoolAuthor Sarah Crossan talks to year 7 and 8 pupils at Beaumont school (Image: Archant)

Beaumont School in Oakwood Drive, St Albans, held a ‘bolt tightening ceremony’ last Friday (4) for its state-of-the-art sports hall, currently under construction.

It follows completion of new all-weather pitches and a multi-use games area, in the first phase of the school’s expansion project.

Head teacher Elizabeth Hitch said that everyone was excited to see the building, “now really taking shape. We held a bolt tightening ceremony where students and staff had the opportunity to see the steel structure close up, to gain some understanding of the process of steel construction and to ‘help’ tighten the bolts on the steels.”

Chair of governors Alex Hall added: “Our state-of-the-art sports hall, classrooms, fitness suite and conference facility will be ready for September this year.

“The work will then continue into 2017 with the construction of new science laboratories and additional work to improve our school hall to provide a venue fit for the school’s outstanding performing arts productions.”

Beaumont has recently launched a ‘buy a brick’ campaign, where anyone wishing to contribute to its development can purchase their own limited edition brick, professionally engraved with their name. This will become a permanent legacy of the sports facilities project, with the engraved bricks to be placed at the entrance to the new building.

During the secondary transfer evening in October last year parents were told there was a possibility that Herts county council might ask Beaumont to increase its planned admission number by 30 in September this year

But that is no longer proposed and Elizabeth told the Herts Advertiser: “This was nothing to do with the new building, as this construction is to meet our current need.

“Our numbers are not going to increase for September 2016 – therefore the admission number remains at 180 for Year 7.”

• Recently award-winning author Sarah Crossan visited Beaumont. She was presented with a portfolio containing Apple and Rain reviews and artwork by students. Pupils praised the author for giving an “inspirational and very funny” talk.

• For more information on buying a brick for the school’s facilities project click here.