RGS Worcester & The Alice Ottley School is delighted to mark the 25th Anniversary of its Independence today with the completion of the exciting plans and continued transformation of the three existing school sites.The school's amazing £6.3 million development has created the "best development in education across the Midlands".

The multi-million pound extension and development of the historic city centre site, which includes work in the former Alice Ottley buildings of the school, is just the latest phase in the exciting RGSAO revolution.

The new modernised, family orientated school still embraces its Worcester community and plans have been made with the past, present and future school communities in mind. The completed plans include a new state of the art two floor gym, complete with top of the range equipment, a dance studio, a digital language laboratory, a new and modernised clean cut art block, cutting edge science block offering light airy labs, all weather pitch and a five star healthy kitchen that will allow all of the teachers, staff and students to work and learn in the region's premier educational facilities.The works will also grow to see an increase in infrastructure and provisions across all the schools sites; RGSAO, RGS The Grange and Springfield.

RGSAO has undergone a radical transformation in recent years with the merger of RGS Worcester and The Alice Ottley School in 2007, a move that strengthened the schools' standing and established an exceptional, affordable independent co-education for families of Worcester and its surrounding areas.This transition also witnessed over 900 pupils on the senior school site and another 450 across its two preparatory schools - educating, motivating and inspiring girls and boys from two to 18 years of age.

Headmaster Andy Rattue revealed the RGS Worcester & The Alice Ottley School development would offer unparalleled facilities and resources for its pupils and heighten the educational experience that the school can offer.

"These exciting developments will help us maximise our potential to offer the very best in education across the Midlands" he said.

"The new RGSAO will boast a series of state-of-the-art resources, especially in science and sport, which means there will be no better location for boys and girls to gain valuable skills for their future success. The developments will give our three school family and pupils the very best facilities, which is what we are always striving to do – be the very best.

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We are lucky to own all our buildings and land which has helped us to develop and become one of the best established school families in Worcestershire – I would urge anyone to come and have a look for themselves at a school open day or private visit - seeing really is believing with this project.It's a showcase moment for RGSAO."

"We have always had a clear vision to become an educational leader and a centre for our community – a school everyone can be proud of, whatever your connections are."

"It has been designed around creating a facility that can cater for our 1400 pupils and growing numbers from pre-school to sixth form.Our research suggested that these sorts of cutting edge facilities are what were needed to lead the educational sector.I'm delighted to now say that we have a first class, healthy environment, to nurture a well-rounded healthy body and mind."

"The quality of our buildings will now reflect the outstanding quality of our teaching staff."

RGSAO has worked with Speller Metcalfe on the new school development and Mr Rattue believes their expertise and experience has proved crucial in making the school's aspirations a reality.

"Speller Metcalfe is a long term supporter of the school so we are very pleased to have been able to work with them on this project," he said.

"They have seen the development through from start to finish, and like us are excited by what has been created.In listed buildings, work of this sort is always complicated, but what has been achieved is a real tribute to our hard work.To finish the project on time and on budget is true testament to the acute level of detail involved with work on this scale."

"We want to make RGS Worcester & The Alice Ottley School something that the pupils and city can be proud of. Our bursar, Commander Mike Sime and the school Governors will leave a legacy for the school and we believe that the new-look RGSAO is just that."

"We believe we have the market to justify this expansion and development. We believe in our staff, teachers and pupils and that they will continue and improve on our success for years to come. We also believe that RGSAO can and will become the place to be for an exceptional education and we want to make it available and accessible to everybody."

"We have put in the facilities that will hopefully meet the needs of pupils and families in the region and we hope they share our enthusiasm about the exciting latest stage of project RGSAO."

Published September 29, 2008