Pop sensation Grennan’s appearance drew plenty of excitement from students who, since the start of term, have been settling into this innovative facility which is part of our transformation project at the school and caters for students from year 7 upwards.
There are 28 classrooms in the newly expanded facilities, including five IT suites, two specialist food technology rooms, and a new sixth-form centre. There is also a new Aspirational Provision, which is a three-classroom SEND block that will provide vital support to students with special educational needs, giving them a more inclusive and tailored environment for learning.
It resonated with Grennan who has revealed that he was recently diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), aged 29. And after seeing the Aspirational Provision at Sandy Secondary, he said:
School was definitely a good time for me. I was lucky, I had good friends, and I had also had good teachers who believed in me.
But I feel like if I'd have been told I had ADHD in school, maybe I wouldn't have been classed as the class clown. I’d have had more of an understanding. For me, having that diagnosis gives me a bit of clarity to what my brain does and the person I am.
I feel like being a kid and understanding who you are at an early age will definitely give kids (in Sandy) more confidence and understand why they might be a little bit different in school, whether it's in behaviour or whether it's in social surroundings.
After a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a special plaque was unveiled in the singer’s honour before a tour of the state-of-the art facilities, which included a visit to Sandy Secondary School’s brand-new 3G sports pitch.
Before taking up music, the singer, who has recently released his new single ‘Higher’, was on the books as a youth at Luton Town Football Club, Northampton Town and Aston Villa. And after witnessing some football training, Grennan said:
I’ve been hearing that's par for their curriculum, for kids who may not be good in maths and science and not understanding all that. It’s amazing that they've got that. I wish I had that at school.
The singer, who shot to fame with hits like ‘Little Bit of Love’ and ‘Found What I’ve Been Looking For’, has a special connection to Sandy Secondary School, as his mother, Clare Grennan, worked there and his grandmother was a governor in the 1980s.
For the class of 2024 and beyond, Karen Hayward, Executive Principal at Sandy Secondary School, shared her excitement about the new developments, saying:
We often talk to our students about dreams, and this was one of mine – to enhance the facilities and provide bespoke learning packages that align with our students’ interests.
The Aspirational Provision allows us to create a fully inclusive school. After five years of hard work, it’s incredibly rewarding to see this dream come to life. I want to extend my thanks to our staff, students, parents, carers, and Governors for their unwavering support. These new facilities will make a real difference and have a lasting impact on the lives of our young people.
This expansion will help Sandy Secondary School accommodate up to 1,440 students and our Executive Member for Families and Children, Councillor Steve Owen, said:
The transformation at Sandy Secondary School is a remarkable achievement, which represents our commitment to increasing specialist learning spaces and giving children and young people the best possible opportunities to grow, learn, and succeed in their educational journey and beyond. They’ll certainly never forget the day that Tom Grennan came to their school to help celebrate this fantastic moment.