Building work set to begin at village school

Yorkshire Photography

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News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire February 20, 2017 02:39:51 PM


Published on Tuesday, 14th February 2017 in Schools and colleges news


Building work at a popular Rotherham school is set to begin next month in order to increase capacity.


Laughton Junior and Infant School has been oversubscribed for years with long waiting lists as pupil numbers quickly fill up.


Last year Rotherham Council agreed expanding the school as part of a £1.2m Department for Education funded plan.


And Cabinet members yesterday (Monday) agreed a new contractor who will start on sight at the beginning of March.


The improvements includes expanding existing classes and also carrying out long overdue remedial work, including the removal of a prefab building which is currently housing the Reception class. This will be replaced with a new foundation stage unit.


Parents, carers, staff and governors at the school have been consulted on the plans, which have been welcomed.


Headteacher Emma Gill said: “We want to assure parents and carers that disruption will be kept to a minimum while the work is being carried out.


“The plans, including the remedial work, will enhance the school, without having a detrimental effect on the children’s learning. Our children deserve the very best learning environment to support their development and these plans should help them to achieve this.”


Cllr Gordon Watson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services at Rotherham Council added: “As a Council we have a very high satisfaction rate of parents and carers getting their first preference of schools and we want to make sure this is the same across all schools. Expanding capacity at Laughton Junior and Infant school will mean local places for local children and this will increase parental satisfaction in this area of Rotherham.”


The Council has already agreed the repairs, replacement and remedial work at the school as part of a capital programme for children and young people’s services for the next two years.


And Cabinet members last October agreed to increase floor space in order to allow the increase in pupil numbers at the same time as the remedial work in order to minimise disruption to pupils and staff.


The move will see pupil numbers increase year on year in Foundation Stage from 24 to 30 for the next seven years. This will increase pupil numbers from 168 to 210 in total.


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