New Philippi high school features high level security
5 March 2020
The Department of Transport and Public Works builds and upgrades schools for the Western Cape Education Department. One of the recently completed schools, Philippi Secondary, has been designed with the safety of learners and teachers in mind, while still providing for community engagement.
The school is also environmentally friendly with rainwater harvesting facilities.
The construction project commenced in March 2018 and was completed at the end of November 2019.
The hall is situated on the periphery of the site to facilitate community use. Access to the secure, inner part of the school is however restricted.
The administration block provides passive surveillance of the site through having views of access points. Access is through a secure entrance with tall galvanised gates and is controlled at the gatekeeper’s house. The foyer of the administration block is an assembly point and communication hub, and it provides access to the private inners of the facility, safe at its core.
The learning cores are situated around three courtyards, one for junior learners, one for senior learners, and the third for specialist classrooms. The school has six specialist classrooms: an information technology (IT) centre, a multi-media centre, biology and chemistry laboratories, a natural science centre, and a consumer studies room.
The green design boasts groundwater harvesting facilities to supply water to ablution facilities and the school’s gardens from a sustainable source. Large outside covered areas provide learners with protection from the elements, and there is also outside seating.
