The foundation stone for the expansion of the new secondary school in Bonnevoie – the New Bonnevoie Lycéee – was laid on Tuesday, built behind the existing school buildings. Around 1,500 pupils currently attend Bonnevoie secondary school.
According to its headteacher Mike Borschette, the current building was already too small shortly after it was built in 1989. The new campus will cover almost six hectares and provide space for around 2,150 pupils.
At the heart of the new campus will be two main buildings, known as the north and south towers, each with five floors.
Alongside modern classrooms, the plans include sports facilities with a swimming pool, workshops, a locksmithing workshop, collaborative learning spaces, and facilities supporting pupils' wellbeing. Special training kitchens and school restaurants are also planned, allowing pupils to work and learn in practical, real-life conditions.
For Borschette, Tuesday's ceremony marked not only the laying of the first foundation stone for the expansion of the lycée, but also for the future of its pupils and staff. He said the new campus would give the whole school community a major boost, describing the current school as a close-knit community of 1,500 pupils, almost 200 teachers, and around 100 other staff.
The move into new premises, with more space and better sports facilities, was something to which the entire community was looking forward, Borschette said.
A key focus will be closer support for pupils, particularly through the organisation of the lower years into so-called "clusters", as Education Minister Claude Meisch explained.
He said one major innovation would be more open forms of working from 7th year to 5th year, with open spaces designed to strengthen collaboration between teachers and pupils. This, he said, would create a setting in which children can receive more intensive support during their first years at secondary school before moving on to their chosen section.
Alongside the educational concept, sustainability and mobility were also priorities. The site is set to be well connected to public transport, with a tram stop nearby, while cycling infrastructure will also be further developed.
Minister of Mobility and Public Works Yuriko Backes said the construction itself would follow a sustainable concept, using materials such as wood and recycled concrete, as well as photovoltaic panels and heat pumps.
The new campus in Bonnevoie will cost more than €300 million. The high cost is partly due to the many specialised workshops and sports facilities included in the project.
Once work on the new school campus is completed, the current school building will not be demolished. Instead, it will be fully renovated so that additional educational facilities can be integrated on the site in future.
