A NEW sixth form centre will help one of the county's top secondary schools achieve even higher academic standards, its deputy headteacher has said.

The centre at Bartholomew School provides a dedicated space for students to study in silence, preparing them for A-Level exams and life at university.

The Eynsham school's A-Level results last summer placed it among the top-100 in the country and deputy headteacher and director of sixth form Steve Nicholson said the new centre will contribute towards academic success.

He said: "Its main use is for study and we are using it as a silent study area.

"It has got computers and university-style desks with boards in between the sections.

"It is very much a working environment.

"It helps for the sixth formers to have somewhere like this to work.

"It is about academic achievement and that comes from our ethos within the school, with this just adding to it.

"The centre is a place where they can do independent study and focus."

Before the building was completed students were spread around the school for their five hours of independent study a week in any available space that could be found.

The new building, which is air conditioned and has lots of natural light, was built by modular building company Actavo.

It also has a cloakroom, kitchen, plant room, cleaner's cupboard, two staff office, a furniture store and toilets.

Mr Nicholson said: "The pupils have chosen for it to be silent, we wanted that but we have not had a problem enforcing it.

"It is important for them to have a space where they can go for a few hours without being disturbed.

"One of the students said that they felt they can finally study in complete silence and that it is a godsend. It is a delight for them.

"Students have also started to use it in their other free periods outside their five hours free study."

The building also has other uses, such as an examination space and an area for meetings.

Mr Nicholson said: "It is a perfect space for exams because of all the natural light and the air conditioning.

"It is a very nice building and it does not get hot and stuffy like some big exam halls can."

Actavo UK operations director Matthew Goff said: "The demand for cost-effective buildings – which can be completed quickly to high performance standards – has escalated dramatically.

"Schools like Bartholomew have seen what we can achieve and we have looked forward to working with them again to add to a sparkling new sixth form facility to their campus."