Mark opened the buildings by cutting two blue and gold ribbons, using the same scissors recently used by the Prime Minister, David Cameron, to perform a similar ceremony at the Henry Box School in the Prime Minister’s Witney constituency. The new buildings were blessed by the Rev. Father Martin Joyce, accompanied by several other Catholic priests, including Father Doricot, who was present at the schools original opening in Rayleigh in 1966.
As well as performing the official opening, Mark also took the opportunity to join the school’s special Mass, to celebrate the Feast Day of Our Lady of Ransom, after whom the school is named.
Commenting on the day, Mark said:
“I was delighted to perform the opening ceremony for the new administration block at Our Lady of Ransom School, which is necessary as the school is very popular and has grown considerably in recent years. It was only after I had cut the ribbon that the Headteacher, Mr O’Brien, explained to me that the Prime Minister had used exactly the same pair of scissors to open an extension at a school in his constituency and by chance staff at both schools know each other and so Our Lady Of Ransom asked if they could borrow the scissors in order to open their block too! I am delighted to follow in the Prime Minister’s footsteps, and I hope the admin block will be a valuable addition to what is already a very good school in the heart of Rayleigh”.