(ANS – Battersea) – On 5 February the "topping out" ceremony (a traditional rite at the laying of the last beam of a building) took place at the St John Bosco College in Battersea. This is a school run by the Salesians in England.  It has been operating in temporary buildings in the area, and is now returning to its new permanent site Surrey Lane. The work is scheduled to finish next autumn.

Jane Ellison, the MP for Battersea, spoke of her hopes for the new site for St John Bosco School at the 'topping out' ceremony in Battersea. She wanted it to be both a loving family for young people and a pathway to fulfilling work. She was responding to Dr Anne Bamford the director of education for Southwark diocese who saw the school as a source of high quality Catholic education with a welcome for all students. Mr Ravi Govindia, leader of Wandsworth council, hoped that the new school in Battersea would provide young people with hope for their future.

Mr Simon Utley, head teacher of the Salesian school in Wandsworth that will move back to the new site in Battersea was delighted to reach this stage of the journey towards a new school. He spoke of the school’s continuing success and attainment levels and the increased recruitment levels for the New Year. In September St John Bosco College will open its doors on the Battersea site after a four year absence and it is clear that there will be a big welcome for them when they return.

The topping out ceremony is a strange, almost pagan ritual during which branches of a tree are buried in mortar in order, according to Nordic legend, to repel evil spirits. On 5th February it happened on the roof of the new St John Bosco School in Battersea. Assisting in this ritual were John and Irisa who are both year eleven students at the college. Both of them will return to this site as 6th formers in September and were excited to see the school taking shape. At present the school construction is on time for a September start and student numbers are rising rapidly as the start date approaches. Next door to the school a new Salesian community house is rising from the ashes of the old Surrey Lane house making this new beginning a sign of ongoing commitment of the Salesians to Battersea.

Published 11/02/2015