Lord-Lieutenant officially opens Ixworth Free School

The Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk, Lady Clare Euston, has unveiled a commemorative plaque at Ixworth Free School during the grand opening of its new facilities. The opening event on February 25 celebrated the end of a two-stage, £4.4 million refurbishment programme which has been ongoing since the school opened in September 2014.

Ixworth Free School, part of the Seckford Foundation Free Schools Trust, was in need of expansion and refurbishment to accommodate growing student numbers and to provide more modernised learning spaces. The building work has included a new 200-seater multi-purpose hall, a versatile outdoor learning space, new entrance and reception areas and complete refurbishment of classrooms.

As part of its upgrade of facilities Ixworth Free School becomes the first local school to create a 4D interactive classroom which brings teaching and learning to life. The £40,000 investment in the 4D ‘immersive’ technology means ‘real life’ sensory experiences such as walking in space or in a rainforest can be created, blurring the line between the physical and digital world.

The Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk, Lady Clare Euston, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the inspiring new facilities which the students of Ixworth Free School are now enjoying.”

Niki King, Headteacher at Ixworth Free School, said: “The new and refurbished facilities are an excellent addition to the school, providing fresh, inspiring and motivating learning environments for all students to enjoy. Thank you to all involved in the refurbishment programme, we’re looking forward to using the new facilities this school year and for years to come.”

The grand opening event saw speeches from Niki King and Lady Euston, followed by the commemorative plaque unveiling. Ixworth Free School students then led tours around their new school facilities, before a celebratory fireworks display to which the whole school was invited.