Excited children and staff are looking forward to moving into their new school building in Waltham after half term.
Waltham Gateway Academy has operated from temporary classrooms since opening last month because of a delay in its construction.
The keys to the school on Sunningdale were handed over to Lincolnshire Gateway Academies Trust and Principal Lindsay Holness on the last day of half term.
A busy two weeks is seeing furniture and computers moved into the building, temporary classrooms removed, and outside play areas created, ready for the children’s return on Monday, 3rd November.
Two special open events have been organised.
Current parents and carers have been invited to view the new school on Friday, 7th November.
Prospective parents, with a child at reception age next September, are invited to an open day on Tuesday, 11th November.
Lindsay said: “I can’t put into words how excited we are to be moving into the new building.
“Since the start of term, we’ve created a true sense of community in what we have called our learning village.
“We have done our absolute best to provide a really good quality of education, with relationships at the forefront.
“The impact is that all the children and staff know each other really well. The move is the next step.
“We have new children joining us after half term and are looking forward to welcoming them to the Waltham Gateway family.”
Chair of the Trust board, Philip Bond, thanked the staff.
“They’ve provided an exceptionally high quality of education and will now have the learning environment to match,” he said.
Lincolnshire Gateway Academies Trust’s Chief Executive Officer Martin Brown was delighted to be in possession of the “fantastic” new building.
“Staff have coped really well with the special arrangements in the cabins and there has not been a detrimental impact on the quality of education,” he said.
“We are really excited about what’s ahead.”
Executive Principal (Primary) Andrew Clark has overseen a partnership with North East Lincolnshire Council which has led to the area’s first new primary schools in decades.
Scartho Gateway Academy opened its new building on Scartho Top at the beginning of term. Both have been built by contractors Hobson and Porter.
“I’d like to thank the team here for doing a fantastic job,” he said. “I can understand why they are all very excited about coming into the new building.
“The Scartho one works incredibly well with another terrific staff team.”
North East Lincolnshire Council’s Service Director for education, inclusion and integration, Jenni Steel, said:
“It is an absolute honour to hand over the keys to a second, wonderful Lincolnshire Gateway Academies Trust primary school, providing additional places for local children and 12 with Education, Health and Care Plans.
“We have been delighted to work with the Trust and Hobson and Porter to produce a school building of incredible calibre.”
On the final day of half term, children and staff welcomed families to a “Cabin celebratory send-off”, when they said goodbye to their temporary classrooms. They sang harvest songs and collected items in lieu of tickets, donated to the Rock Foundation food bank.
The open day on 11th November for prospective parents will have three sessions at 10am, 11am and 5pm. Please book by calling (01472) 502256 or email [email protected]
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