STAFF and pupils from Alton's former Whitedown Special School were celebrating when the Countess of Wessex came to officially open their new school at Bordon. Hollywater School certainly has the "wow" factor. Purpose-built to cater for the needs of children with complex learning difficulties from across East Hampshire, it is an outstanding facility. And yes – for those who were fearful of the closing down of Whitedown School in Alton to facilitate a merger with Meadow School at Bordon – for the children, parents and staff, it really was worth the heartache. The £8 million school is far superior to the original facilities at both Alton and Bordon. From being the poor relations, they have managed to stage a Cinderella-style come-back and the results are clear to see. According to headteacher, Barbara Livings, the youngsters are already benefiting from the space – the wide corridors which make for easy access; the integrated outdoor areas; the colourful, but calming decor; the state-of-the-art facilities; and the opportunity to mix with a wider range of people their own age. While Whitedown School had just 30 pupils, Hollywater currently has 128, and a waiting list, bringing greater opportunities for youngsters to interact and to become more independent. The new school has 13 purpose-built classrooms as well as specialist rooms for ICT, music and drama, science, food technology and life skills. It also boasts a brand new hydrotherapy pool which is similar in size to the Whitedown pool but is enhanced by music and lighting. It can be hired out and people from Alton can travel over to Bordon to use it Hollywater has large sensory and soft-play rooms, an easy-to-access open-plan library, and a light and spacious hall which can be used for assemblies, PE activities and as a dining hall. It is attached to a kitchen which provides in-house catering for school lunches. The grounds are all wheelchair accessible and include an all-weather pitch, a rustic play area, wheelchair swings, two water features, a picnic area and a vegetable garden. The school employs 70 staff, many of them part- time, and many of whom made the move from Whitedown and Meadow to bring a degree of stability to the new environment. Barbara Livings was the former headteacher at Whitedown, catering for children with more profound learning difficulties for four years, before taking over the reins at Meadow School in 2004 until September 2006, when Hollywater first opened. Working closely with Hampshire county architects Colin Henry (building) and Colin Lord (grounds) and with interior designer Philippa Dickson, Mrs Livings was responsible for overseeing the new school which was built in the grounds at Meadow. Pupils range in age from two to 19, and come from a wide catchment area – mostly from within East Hampshire. A survey to try and gauge reaction to the new school has proved extremely positive. According to Mrs Livings, 91 per cent of pupils and 100 per cent of parents, staff and governors felt Hollywater was "a good school" and they were "proud to be part of it". Of the official opening by the Countess of Wessex, Mrs Livings said: "The Countess was wonderful – she went into every classroom and spoke to every single child – she appeared to have a real understanding of special needs. "With so many schools closing, the Countess said she was especially pleased to be opening a special school like Hollywater."
