Two new school buildings have opened in Kingston this month, providing upgraded places to learn for young people of all ages in the borough.

St Philip's School, a special educational needs school for young people aged nine -19 years in Chessington, has opened its new vocational centre.

The space will provide additional specialist school places for teenagers to explore career opportunities and looks to give its pupils a head start into the world of work. 

Burlington Junior School has also welcomed students into a brand new three-storey building comprising classrooms and other teaching, learning, administrative spaces, as well as a new sports hall and two multi-use games areas.

The project is also refurbishing the existing Victorian building on site and has enabled the school to welcome five forms of entry to meet the forecasted future demand for places. 

Cllr Diane White, Portfolio Holder for Children's Services said: "Supporting children and young people to have the best possible start in life is a top priority for us at Kingston Council, and providing excellent facilities for that to take place is very important.

"This is an exciting time for both schools, and I hope that students and staff alike flourish in their new spaces. 

Ben Walsh, Headteacher at St Phillips said: "Our vocational courses are a valuable part of the curriculum, and the new Willow Block will give us state of the art facilities that offer a fantastic alternative to traditional classroom teaching.

"We are delighted with the new building and can't wait for lessons to begin!"

Pip Utting, Headteacher at Burlington Junior School said: "We were really excited to open our new building at the start of this summer term.

"Providing a caring, welcoming and stimulating environment for our children to learn in is something we are passionate about at Burlington.

"The new building provides the children and staff with fantastic facilities to enable us to continue to deliver the highest quality learning experience for our pupils."