North Wilts business leaders go back to school

Business leaders from north Wiltshire went back to school this week – for a breakfast networking meeting organised by the North Wiltshire Economic Partnership.

Businessmen and women were given a guided tour of the new St John’s School and Community College in Marlborough. Built at a cost of £26.5 million, and opened to students last year, the building was entirely privately-financed – with several local companies sponsoring classrooms or helping in the fundraising effort.

Of particular interest to the visitors were the conference facilities and training rooms, which are available for hire outside school hours. A 350-seat theatre, dance studio and cutting edge music rooms with recording studio were among the other facilities visited.

Colette Mallon, manager of the economic partnership, said: “One of the aims of the partnerships is to get schools and business communities working together, to encourage firms to become more actively involved in their schools and to ensure that young people leaving full time education have the skills and qualifications employers demand.”