QPHS Spring Term 2024 magazine - Magazine - Page 3
Students from each school visited the
site, (some virtually), in 2021
and learnt about the scope and
scale of the Northgate development,
the Roman history of the site plus
archaeology and construction
techniques and careers. The project
was designed to enable students to
gain an understanding of local history,
the construction industry,
developments in their local area and
careers; aligning what is learnt in the
classroom with the world of work.
One year later, members of the Year
8 School Council including: Phoebe,
Ana, Amy H, Henry H and Harry B
accompanied by Mrs Watts were
invited back to the site to represent
Queen’s Park High School and bury
their time capsule.
The time capsules were sponsored by
VINCI Building as part of their
Northgate community engagement
activities and the chamber will be
marked with a commemorative stone
plaque.
Councillor Richard Beacham, Cabinet
Member for Inclusive Growth,
Economy and Regeneration, said:
When the time comes to rebuild a future
Northgate, I hope these time capsules will
provide a wonderful snapshot of life in
Chester for future archaeologists to
discover and study, and be as fascinated
as we have been by the archaeology we
have found whilst constructing
Northgate.
This programme for local young people is
part of the Council’s ongoing
commitment to squeezing more value
from the money we spend on projects like
Northgate; over the duration of the build
this has included creating new jobs,
offering apprenticeships, and building
partnerships with local education
providers to inspire the next generation
of construction workers, designers,
architects, archaeologists and
engineers.
A great deal of care and
thought has gone into protecting the
archaeology on the Northgate site,
which was once one of the largest
Roman fortresses in Britain.
Despite finding over 10,000 Roman
artefacts, the works have disturbed
less than three percent of the
archaeology and the foundations
have been carefully designed to let
the building ‘float’ above the ground.
This project is one of many Queen’s
Park High School are developing,
confirming our commitment to
providing personal development
opportunities and outstanding
Careers Education Information and
Guidance. For more information on
Chester Northgate visit:
www.chesternorthgate.com
We are delighted to help facilitate these
time capsules and encourage students to
learn more about the wide range of career
opportunities within the construction
industry and how we are building
Northgate .
Jonathan Roberts, Senior Project Manager
from VINCI Building