On the 8th of February, Rachel Lomax, recently appointed as Vice-President of the British Council, came into the School in what was her first visit outside of the UK. Together with all the Heads of Section, Lomax visited both El Viso and Somosaguas sites and had the opportunity to speak at length with all our students and teachers as well as being able to enjoy a variety of performances.
The Vice-President was really impressed by the School and with everyone that she met, including parents and students. And she told us so, when she described the British Council School as a “truly extraordinary place”, designed to help students to maximise their potential.
In the afternoon, Rachel Lomax was in charge of cutting the ribbon at the “official opening of the Auditorium” which has been renovated to create a modern, multi-functional space. The event was organized by the Deputy Headmaster, Norman Roddom, who also had the close assistance of our marvelous Music team, led by our Music and Performance Leader, Marek Dabrowski.
The renovation has allowed us to extend the capacity of the Auditorium. We have removed three pillars which were in the middle of the room, making it bigger and increasing its use. It now has 20% more space and 40% more audience capacity.
The final result is an Auditorium which is now much more aesthetically pleasing, with noticeably better acoustics. Ultimately, this is now a space with a much more flexible layout, which can be put to different uses and host different events.
After the piano recital led by Juan M., there were further performances from our Key Stage Orchestra 4 & 5, SacapelaS, the Big Band, the KS3 Percussion Group and the Choir. Rachel Lomax closed the ceremony with a short speech and the new Auditorium was officially opened. We are quite sure that it will stage some really fun times.