News Extra

Press release - June 2008

The Long Eaton School unveils its iconic ‘Vision’

Since 2006, when The Long Eaton School moved from its old buildings on Tamworth Road and Ash Grove to its new premises at Thoresby Road, scholars from the old Long Eaton Grammar School have wanted to sponsor a sculpture at the school. The sculpture should somehow link the past with a vision for the future.

Mr John Eley, Head of Art at the School, suggested creating a simple iconic image of an eye. This could take the form of a mosaic (based on an original he had seen in Rome). An eye would symbolise the “Vision” of the new school. In the words of famous typographer David Jury –

“What I see I remember, What I do I understand”.

The Grammar School scholars were delighted with the idea and the School commissioned Zantium Studios to design and install the eye mosaic outside the front entrance of the school. This was laid out on the School Environmental Fun Day on 1st May 2008. Guests from visiting schools, members of the local community as well as students and staff from the school all placed a single pebble into the mosaic and the completed EYE was finished by the end of the day.

The foundations for the piece were laid by Mr Russell Godber, construction teacher, and students from the school’s construction team. The paving was donated by Marshalls plc of Sawley and laid by Groundwork Derby & Derbyshire.

The EYE will be officially unveiled by Mrs Paula Hammond (Old scholar’s reunion co-ordinator) on Thursday 10 July 2008 at 1.30pm. Old scholars of the old Long Eaton Grammar school are invited to attend.

For further information please contact Mrs Barbara James – email or phone on 0115 9732438