Staff, governors and parents began a fundraising campaign, supported by the local community, which raised a total of £180k. Nottinghamshire County Council provided an additional £3m, which meant the improvement work could go ahead.

The project has now been completed and celebrations began at the end of June, with an official opening ceremony attended by Councillor Sue Saddington, Chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council and Councillor Kay Cutts, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, as well as governors, staff, pupils and representatives from the organisations involved in the work.

Councillor Saddington and Councillor Cutts thanked everyone involved, especially the Head Teacher, Dawn Wigley, the staff and governors who worked hard to raise money for the project.

The pupils all joined in with the Makaton choir as they sang and signed “This is Me” and “Thousand Years”, with guests signing along after being taught the chorus.

Arc Partnership designed and delivered the project, working with G F Tomlinson as the contractor on site. We delivered a new two-storey, five-classroom extension with a common room, staff room, therapy suite and three additional car parking spaces. Two mobile classrooms were also demolished.

The hall has a new hoist and lighting system, so can be fully enjoyed by all the pupils, whilst the older part of the building has had a refurbishment in places, to bring it up to the standard of the new extension.

Although the work has now been completed, our association with the school isn’t over and we’re looking forward to supporting the staff and pupils in the future.