Out of the rubble.

It has been a huge pleasure and privilege this term to be part of the opening of the new school building for St John’s Catholic Primary School. The opening of any new school building is always a time of great excitement for any school, when, after years of planning, construction and upheaval, pupils and staff finally have access to new facilities and resources to support and enhance learning and their experience of school life. For St John’s the past few weeks have been the culmination of four years (almost to the day!) of work following the discovery of Reinforced, Aerated, Autoclaved, Concrete (RAAC), leading to the emergency closure of the old school building and everything that followed on from this.

At the time of writing I have just returned from the first Mass held in the new school building, concelebrated by Bishop Paul McAleenan and Parish Priests Fr Andrew Gallagher and Fr Dom Matokovic. This was followed by a beautiful blessing of the individual classrooms, offices and play spaces  and even the blessing of the school’s new 3G sports pitch (a first for me!).  One of the most pleasing aspects of a wonderfully joyful and celebratory day was to see the beautiful crucifix proudly hanging on the wall of the new school hall.

This crucifix and I have go back a bit. About 15 years ago, I first visited St John’s, as a fellow local Headteacher to meet the school’s then Deputy, someone I had known since my own time serving as Deputy Headteacher at another school in the Diocese. I was struck by the large, colourful crucifix hanging in the school hall. I had never seen such a beautiful crucifix in a school. Over the coming years, I saw it ‘in action’ as a focal point for celebrations, Masses and Liturgies. It even watched over us as we met with parents and staff to consult on the plans for the school, alongside my own schools at the time, to join the then nascent All Saints Academy Trust.

Roll forward to discussions with contractors about the demolition of the old school building. Given the nature of the RAAC throughout the building, there was a real risk that as soon as demolition began, the whole building could have collapsed. We were prepared for the worse and warned that it was probable that nothing that remained in the building would be recoverable. We were asked if there was anything at all that, if contractors cold manage it, we would want retained as part of the demolition. We were unanimous, Trust, Headteacher, Governors and Staff, that the crucifix is what we were praying that would be able to be rescued.

The demolition took place across the  summer holiday and within a fully tented environment (let’s not forget that 1950’s school buildings are riddled with asbestos also!). Before the summer holiday a large tent was erected around the building and, when the children returned to school in September, the large tent had disappeared, as had the school! For the next 18 months, the crucifix stood proudly, though perhaps unnoticed in the site building of our team of contractors. It was the best place they could think of to store it safely. I like to think that, without them knowing (or maybe they did), that the presence of Christ was there in their office as they planned, managed and oversaw the construction of our new school.

Today it hangs, pride of place in the new school hall at St John’s, the one remaining piece of the old school building to have survived everything that has happened over the past four years. As I walked up to receive communion this morning, the children sang our communion hymn with gusto: ‘Once again I look upon the cross where you died, I’m humbled by your mercy and I am broken inside, once again I thank you; once again I pour our my life’. It was a truly profound moment. I am quite sure that the St John’s staff has not known what was on my mind at that moment, but how fitting that they had unwittingly chosen to soundtrack it with this beautiful expression of the power of the cross and of Christ’s sacrifice for us.

When I had to share the news, four years ago, with the school community, telling them that they had to immediately vacate from their much loved school building, it was difficult for many in the community to understand and accept that somehow all of the difficulty that they faced, was part of God’s plan for their community. As, over the following months, I witnessed staff members and families leave the school, as a result of some of the uncertainty and inconsistency that the discovery of RAAC precipitated, it was hard at times to have faith that all of this would lead to a brighter future for this wonderful school. As controversial as it may be to say, and in no way making light of some of the difficult challenges that the school has faced, seeing the ‘old’ St John’s crucifix on the wall of the new school hall – how could I be in any doubt that everything that has happened was, without doubt, part of God’s plan for the school, it’s pupils, their families, the parish and the wider community. As challenging as the past four years has been, this period has seen:

• Hugely successful and positive S48 inspection
• A resounding and positive endorsement from Ofsted
• A refreshed, dedicated, skilled and enthusiastic staff team including a talented Deputy and Assistant Headteacher recruited during this period
• A period of stable, strong and effective leadership from a talented Executive Headteacher
• A relationship between school and parish that is closer than it has ever been
• A tight, close knit community of pupils, staff, families, governors and the Trust, all working in close partnership toward the ongoing thriving of the school

In so many ways the community of St John’s Catholic Primary School is so much stronger that it has ever been and I am immensely indebted to all who have worked with us to ensure that this is the case. Long may the words of our communion hymn today echo through the corridors of our new school building and in front of this beautiful depiction of Christ on the cross:

‘Once again I look upon the cross where you died, I’m humbled by your mercy and I am broken inside, once again I thank you; once again I pour our my life’

St John the Evangelist – Pray for us!

All you saints in heaven – Pray for us!

Stephen Wheatley 

CEO, ASCAT