PICTURES: New primary school opens on outskirts of Weston

Henry Woodsford

Published: 5:55 AM September 22, 2020

Updated: 11:12 PM October 27, 2020

Parklands Educate Together Primary School opening ceremony. Picture: Willmott Dixon - Credit: Archant

A primary school has opened its classrooms to pupils.

Parklands Educate Together Primary School opening ceremony. Picture: Willmott Dixon - Credit: Archant

Parklands Educate Together Primary School is the first of up to three primary schools planned for Parklands Village by North Somerset Council to meet the increasing number of children requiring school places in the area.

Over the next 10 years up to 3,650 homes and more than 5,000 jobs will be created at Parklands Village, on the former RAF Locking base and surrounding land.

Parklands Educate Together Primary School opening ceremony. Picture: Willmott Dixon - Credit: Archant

The school originally opened in September 2018 in a temporary building near the site.

Another temporary building was added in September last year as the school expanded to four classrooms.

Parklands Educate Together Primary School opening ceremony. Picture: Willmott Dixon - Credit: Archant

The £9million contract to build the school was awarded to Willmott Dixon and the Educate Together Academy Trust was appointed as sponsor of the school.

Cllr Catherine Gibbons, the council’s executive member for children’s services and lifelong learning, said: “This project is a demonstration of fantastic collaboration between the council, Willmott Dixon and Educate Together Academy Trust who have worked through some incredibly difficult times to deliver a spacious, light and innovative primary school in time for the start of the new school year.

Parklands Educate Together Primary School opening ceremony. Picture: Willmott Dixon - Credit: Archant

“The building is amazing and truly inspirational. I’m sure the children and the staff are going to love it.

“Every classroom and space has its own unique aspect and is built to a high quality in terms of design and delivery. The size of the rooms and supporting spaces and the well-planned outdoor areas will be the envy of many other schools.”

Parklands Educate Together Primary School opening ceremony. Picture: Willmott Dixon - Credit: Archant

The school has 14 classrooms and early years nursery. It will initially have 420 primary school places and a preschool with capacity to expand to 630 places when required.

Outside the school day the community will have access to a meeting space and the school hall. The hall has been designed to facilitate theatre activities and it is hoped the school will become a hub for local activity outside school hours.

Parklands Educate Together Primary School opening ceremony. Picture: Willmott Dixon - Credit: Archant

Headteacher Steve Davis said: “We are delighted with our new permanent building.”

He added that school staff are ‘so excited by the opportunities the building and grounds offer for a high quality education’.

Parklands Educate Together Primary School opening ceremony. Picture: Willmott Dixon - Credit: Archant