A SCHOOL which was based in two different villages has celebrated the official opening of a new building which brings all the pupils together in one place for the first time.
By Juliette Maxam
A SCHOOL which was based in two different villages has celebrated the official opening of a new building which brings all the pupils together in one place for the first time.
Two Villages Primary School was established in 2000 when tiny Little Oakley Primary School was amalgamated with Ramsey Primary School.
It has taken five years to find a suitable plot to locate the school and even though it was due to be the first of a raft of schools to benefit from public private partnership funding it is the last to be finished.
Yesterday the new school was officially opened by the retired headteacher Dilys Patten, who was the driving force behind the new building.
The school's new headteacher, Pat Blackwell, who took over last September, said the new school was “wonderful”.
It is a U-shaped building, with all rooms built around a hall. There is a food technology room, two group rooms, a computer suite, library, and a new school kitchen which has just started serving hot lunches prepared by a parent who is also a qualified chef.
“The hall is one of the central points of the new building. It's a beautiful square hall. We have seven lovely big classrooms, with interactive whiteboards and projectors,” said Mrs Blackwell.
“It's on this amazing site. I've never seen such a space around a new school. We're looking forward to developing the grounds.”
Mrs Blackwell added: “It's just amazing that we have come to this and we are all under one roof. Dilys struggled for four years being on two sites, with all the implications it entailed, like bussing between both schools, and health and safety.”
Mrs Blackwell was head at Frinton Primary School, which was one of the first to benefit from improvements funded by public private partnership funding. “I've seen the beginning and the end of it,” she said.
The opening ceremony included African drummers, Indian hand dancing and music from the school band.
Former Labour MP Ivan Henderson was present at the ceremony.
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