A basketball court at a Hampshire special school is up and running after a £4.4m project of remodelling and refurbishment.
The main works were completed in August by W Stirland, a privately-owned construction company near Chichester.
They involved the conversion and extension of the existing Victorian school building at Linden Education Centre in Aldershot, creating teaching accommodation for 92 secondary age pupils who are unable to attend main stream school because of emotional or behavioural reasons.
Farnham-based PRO Fencing, the fencing division of WL West & Sons Ltd, installed the basketball court using 3m-high Duo8 steel fencing from Zaun Ltd, with matching 1.2m-high spectator railings to one side.
Duo8 forms a robust play area that is highly durable, low maintenance and ‘graffiti-proof’, and rubber inserts between panels and posts to keep ‘rattle’ during play to a minimum.
Linden Education Centre caters for students aged 11–16 whose behavioural problems have resulted in them being permanently excluded from a mainstream school, or who are in danger of being excluded.
The aim is to re-integrate students aged 11–14 into a mainstream school. Older students, especially those in Year 11, invariably complete their education at the centre before moving on to further education.
