Durrington High School during lockdown: sports hall takes shape, pupils and staff raise thousands for NHS

The secondary school in The Boulevard, Worthing, launched DHS4NHS, a charity campaign, during the Easter holidays, to raise money for Worthing Hospital.

Staff and pupils completed exercise challenges from running or cycling 5km to doing 500 sit ups or yoga moves, and raised £4961.64 – including gift aid.

Worthing Food Bank received hundreds of donations from staff, and thank you cards designed by students as part of a weekly creative challenge were sent to key workers at the hospital and care homes.

Design and technology technician Sue Slater has also made more than 1,000 PPE visors for local care homes and hospices, the majority to St Barnabas House.

Matt Angell, facilities director, oversaw the production and said: “We are very proud of Sue’s efforts and delighted to have been able to contribute to keeping our heroic key workers safe.”

During the lockdown, a new sports hall is being built, with completion set for the autumn term.

Following the approval of plans earlier this year, work began eight weeks ago. The skeleton structure, using approximately 625 tonnes of concrete and 25 tonnes of steel, is now in place and construction continues at pace.

Headteacher Sue Marooney said: ‘It is really exciting to finally see the tangible beginnings of a project that has long been in the planning.

"This development is of huge significance to our school and the local community and I am delighted with the progress made so far. I look forward to the huge positive difference these improved facilities will make once completed."

The hall will have markings for badminton, netball, basketball, and five-a-side football, plus four cricket practice lanes and fully controllable LED lighting and an indoor viewing gallery.

Alongside construction of the sports hall, the existing outdoor courts are being updated and resurfaced, with LED floodlighting. Netball and tennis will be the primary sports.