THE final day of term went with a bang for two destructive pupils after they instructed a demolition crew to ‘destroy’ their school.
Students James Binns, 13, of Wynyard and Molly Bainbridge, 12, of Norton, took charge of the demolition of St Michael’s Catholic Academy after winning a competition to raze the former school building to the ground.
The out-dated three-storey building that stood on Beamish Road, Billingham, for the past 50 years, has recently been replaced by a new state of the art academy, constructed by building firm Kier, in front of the original school.
After a final walk through the old classrooms Molly and James commanded a giant high reach grabbing machine, via a two –way radio, to smash into the side of the three storey building.
Under the watchful eye of Kier and cheered on by hundreds of St Michael’s students and staff from the safety of their new school, they then gave the order to begin the demolition of the building.
St Michael’s vice principal Damien Kelly, who helped to judge the competition said: “The demolition has gone exactly according to plan and Molly and James have been absolutely fantastic.
“Our students have been involved in the whole process right from the beginning, from designing the new school up to demolishing the old one.
“Now we can look forward to seeing the cleared ground redeveloped to create new recreational areas, with landscaping designed by our students, a new school car park and access to our academy memorial garden.”
95 per cent of the demolished building will be recycled with timber taken to a woodchip plant to form new flooring and ceilings, metal supports melted down for school construction and ship building and hardcore crushed to use in road construction and also for the new school car park foundations.
“It was great to be in control of the demolition,” said James.
“It’s not something you get to do everyday and its something I will remember for ever.”
Both Molly and James were presented with their high visibility vests and hard hats as a memento by Kier and will also receive a brick each from the demolished building with their names engraved on it.
“I feel really privileged to have been the one of the last two students to have been in the old building,” said Molly.
“It was very exciting ordering the grabbing machine to start the demolition and I feel really proud to be part of St Michael’s Academy history.”
