The Medical Tuition Service (MTS) have relocated from Halswell House in Torquay to My Place, Parkfield in Paignton.
Torbay Council approved and funded the project to enhance and adapt the MyPlace building to enable the MTS to relocate to a modern, fit-for-purpose facility.
The MTS provides quality education for those young people who are unable to attend their mainstream school as a result of a diagnosed medical condition. The Service supports young people using a variety of learning methods. These can be at the learning centre or as part of an outreach programme. They also provide a therapeutic offer where needed.
By moving to Parkfield the MTS is able to provide an offer of subjects and activities that their old placement at Halswall House did not allow for, including catering and enhanced IT. The new teaching classrooms include an art room, a science lab and a youth room. An existing room was converted to office space for staff and the upgraded facilities will provide excellent teaching spaces for pupils. The MTS is working alongside other providers on the site including, the Youth Service, Eat That Frog and Reach Outdoors.
Head Teacher, Jayne Horrocks, said: “Our old site at Halswell House was really restrictive to what we can offer our students, who are some of the most vulnerable pupils in the Bay, and their families. This new space at Parkfield means they get to engage in appropriate physical activity and with other services also being based at the new site we will be able to offer a complete wrap-around service. It is my hope that it will become a centre of excellence, offering the most in need an educational space where they can achieve in line with their peers.”
TDA project managed the scheme, working with contractor, M W Benney. TDA also provided extensive support from the Facilities Management Team and Property Services Group to ensure the move was as seamless as possible.
Jayne Horrocks continued: “I would very much like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at TDA for working to ensure we have such a lovely and exciting school for our young people. Looking at the new facilities, it is clear that as a team TDA wanted this to be of great value to our young people and our staff.”
TDA’s Education Team is commissioned by Torbay Council to ensure there are sufficient school places and to manage and deliver the Children’s Services Capital Programme.
Clare Talbot, Head of Education Services at TDA, said: “This project drew on a number of services that the TDA provides. Working together with our project managers and facilities management team we carefully planned the move and made sure that everything that MTS needed was in place on a tight schedule. The new teaching spaces are great and it is fantastic to see the young people benefit from the facilities that Parkfield provides.”
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