More school places created at Beeston Rylands Junior School thanks to upgrades

The modern new classroom block – made up of four units, which have been in use since September – was officially opened during a celebration event.

Other upgrades include the refurbishment of the existing special education needs (SEN) room and the creation of an additional classroom within the school building.

In total, the upgrades provide a new teaching space for 40 pupils to help meet local demand.

The improvements have been funded through housing developer contributions, as well as funds from Nottinghamshire County Council’s School Places Programme.

Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Assets, Cllr James Walker-Gurley, alongside his Deputy, Cllr Richard Ward, as well as Cllr Simon Wright, Cabinet Member for Education and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), visited the school to mark the official opening of the new classroom block.

Cllr Walker-Gurley said working with housing developers on school projects is a common-sense approach. He said:

“This new classroom block will provide a modern learning environment and deliver 40 additional school places for local families which is great news.

“When new homes are built, local people rightly expect investment in local facilities and services.

“We always work closely with developers to make sure their housing projects bring real benefits to existing communities.”

Cllr Wright added:

“We’re delighted that pupils and teachers now have this spacious, fit-for-purpose classroom, and improvements to the main school have been made. It’s important that every child can learn in the best possible environment.”

As part of wider improvements, pupils gave their input and asked for wildflowers to be planted in their outdoor space.  Pupil Orla Blair is part of the school's eco committee and explains why it was so important. She said:

“Bees are a very important part to the world because they pollinate flowers. The new flowers in the school mean there are more flowers for the bees to pollinate, and they get to have a sugary treat.”

Beeston Rylands Junior’s headteacher Catherine Turner said:

“This is an exciting investment in the future of our school. It will provide a modern, high-quality learning space in the new building, as well as upgraded facilities within our main school building.

“There are a number of housing developments in our local area, and we are delighted that this investment will allow us to provide much-needed additional places for children in the community.

“It is particularly exciting to see the plans becoming a reality and to be able to showcase the progress being made. This is about much more than providing additional classrooms – it is about creating an environment where children can learn, thrive and enjoy their time at school.

“Our federated school – Trent Vale Infant and Nursery School – is just across the road and already has capacity to welcome younger children. We can now complement that provision by offering places for their older siblings, helping to provide families with a strong primary school experience across our two federated schools.

“We are looking forward to seeing the new facilities being used by our pupils and becoming an important part of the school and the wider community for many years to come.”

This work was designed, project and cost-managed by Arc Partnership, a joint venture between Nottinghamshire County Council and SCAPE,

As part of this agreement with the developer, a parcel of land next to the school has been provided as additional playing field space, increasing outdoor space for the school.