A team of volunteers answered a Carlton school’s urgent plea for help in transforming one of their dated classrooms in time for the new term.
Haddon Primary School head teacher Nina Capek, said ‘she felt a duty’ to tackle the refurbishment of the site’s early years and foundation classroom following a revamp of other school buildings.
She said, “The children have been working in an area which we didn’t feel was fit for purpose anymore and because the rest of the school has been totally revamped and renewed, we wanted the younger children to have the same.”
Nina put out a call to The Flying High Partnership, the multi-academy trust the school belongs to and a number of volunteers stepped forward to assist with the transformation.
Nina said, “Preparation started on the classrooms before the Easter holidays so that on the first day back, with a little help from friends within our multi academy trust, The Flying High Partnership, work could begin straight away.
“We have people here from the Trust’s central team helping us, and Emma Spires who is an early year’s lead practitioner. We have staff from other schools in the wider Trust including Porchester Junior School and our EYFS staff from Haddon too.
“Now we can finally move away from those old carpets and curtains because we have laid a new floor which will allow both wet and messy play because it is easy to clean. We also have lots of new resources to stimulate pupils’ creativity.
She added: “I know the children and their parents are very excited about the transformation, and though the children worked brilliantly in the old setting, they are of course looking forward to learning in their new environment which will have a positive impact on their learning too.”
An excited group of pupils said they were looking forward to the changes. Four-year-old Elliot Croll said he was excited about the new floor and fellow pupil Samuel Dean (age 5) said it was all the new equipment he was excited to see. Esme Swinscoe (age 5) said she was excited about the new toys and Francesca Levers (age 4) hoped there were new books to colour in, as it was her favourite activity.
Max Henshaw, age 5 said, “I am looking forward to seeing all the new playthings, I think it is going to be much better. The old carpet was dirty and it is gone now. I am very excited, and I think the teachers are too!”
Pete Wilkes, (Director of Inclusion and Quality Assurance at The Flying High Partnership) helped with the classroom transformation and said, “Improving the experience of children in education is at the heart of everything we do as a Trust and as individuals. So given the chance, we were all happy to get the paint rollers out!”
