A POPULAR Malvern school is celebrating the completion of a £1.3million expansion to provide classrooms for its growing number of pupils.
Following a programme of development and extensive augmentation, three new classrooms and support spaces were officially unveiled at Leigh and Bransford Primary School on Friday.
This had been created following a decision by Worcestershire County Council in February 2015 to expand the capacity at the Hoopers Close school to one form of entry (up to 30 places) with a requirement for three additional class bases to accommodate 210 children.
The school, which currently holds 120 pupils in five classrooms, started increasing its pupil numbers in September last year.
Funded by the county council’s basic needs capital grant allocation from the Department for Education, the project also provided a library, group space, cloakrooms and toilets for the children as well as remodelling the inside of the admin suite.
Headmaster Stuart Bill said: “We are absolutely delighted with this extension to our thriving school.
“The rooms are well-designed and nicely finished offering the best possible accommodation for our pupils.
“In addition there are many energy saving touches to the school which is in keeping with our ethos.
“We are also very happy that our outside space has increased in size which will allow us to improve our sports provision.”
As part of the project, a larger playground has been installed on the school field, more staff and visitor parking arrangements have been put into place while a drop-off point has been implemented for the very first time.
It is hoped this will ease the traffic in the school’s surrounding area and has the benefit of new lower speed limits on the A4013 from Bransford which should further mitigate the impact on residents and improve safety.
The school intends to grow slowly from reception upwards and to ensure children from the catchment area have the spaces as a priority.
Sarah Rouse, representing Alfrick and Leigh ward on Malvern Hills District Council, told the Observer the ‘stunning’ new classrooms would provide an ‘excellent’ learning area for pupils.
“The new car park is key to the success of this project and without its expansion, it would not have been possible.
“Hopefully it will be used wisely as the expansion continues to avoid any problems for local residents,” she added.
West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin joined VIPs to celebrate the opening of the new million pound extension.
And she formally opened the new buildings with representatives from the county council including chairman Anne Hingley and Coun Paul Tuthill.
Mrs Baldwin praised headteacher Mr Bill and his team for the impressive test results which put the school in the top one per cent across the country.
“Having seen the new classrooms, I am sure that the school will go from strength to strength,” she said.
“Our local schools do an amazing job with limited resources and I am confident that schools like Leigh and Bransford Primary School will continue to do an excellent job.”
The school will host an open evening for prospective parents on Tuesday from 5.30pm.
