Methwold High School has now embarked on an exciting venture to develop a high-tech community sport and fitness building on the site, equipped with a state-of-the-art classroom and community fitness suite.

Methwold High School has now embarked on an exciting venture to develop a high-tech community sport and fitness building on the site, equipped with a state-of-the-art classroom and community fitness suite.

It follows Norwich City legend Darren Huckerby's visit to the school in October to officially launch its status as a Specialist Sports College.

Construction of the new building, costing in excess of half a million pounds, started last Monday and represents a milestone in the development of the school.

It also symbolises the commitment shown by the Department for Children, Schools and Families to provide much-needed resources to enable the school to excel under its new status.

The school will open its doors to the local community by providing a much-needed changing and catering facility for community activities.

Building work will take approximately six months, and it is hoped to be open in September.

Sport England has provided additional funding to equip the fitness suite and additional contributions have been received from the Parents, Teachers and Friends Association (PTFA), the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and Waste Recycling Environmental Limited (WREN) to ensure the work is done.

Jon Winn, Director of Specialism, said: “It has been the result of many hours of hard work and support from a number of individuals and external agencies that has enabled us to reach this point.

“The pupils at the school and the local community deserve better and I hope this building will be a stepping stone in the development of our facilities. I am especially grateful to WREN and Methwold High School PTFA for their support.”

The combination of the new building and the recently-constructed floodlit community multi-use games area will enable many groups to access facilities which were otherwise located too far away to use on a regular basis.

The facilities will be open to the community for organized sporting and learning activities and private hire at all times - and will provide a much-needed indoor resource for the teaching of PE and sport-related lessons for the school when not used by the community.

Sarah Gosling, WREN grant manager, said: “The building will benefit not only the many sporting groups who use the school grounds, but it also offers a valuable community venue for groups to meet and will complement the existing venues in the area.”