House-builder helps primary school in Worksop buy new outdoor equipment for pupils

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House-builder Bellway has donated £500 to a primary school in Worksop towards the cost of new outdoor play equipment.

The money will help The St Augustine’s Academy, off Longfellow Drive, develop its outdoor classroom space to encourage imaginative learning and social development.

The new facilities, also constructed by Bellway at the school, include climbing walls and gardening areas and will be used by pupils aged three-five in the school’s two Foundation Stage classes.

Steve Houghton, academy vice-principal, said: “We’re grateful to Bellway for helping us fund new play equipment. We’re really pushing to encourage outdoor learning in order to expand educational spaces.

St Augustine's teachers Amie Hoult and Tracey Howard and pupil Corey Colclough, aged three, Corey’s dad and Bellway senior site manager Andrew Colclough by the new play area.

“We see some of our children arrive on their first day without interacting with other children or experiencing the enjoyment of outdoor play. So it’s a novelty for them to be able to play outside for the first time and interact with their peers.

“We provide opportunities for children to learn and play outdoors to help shape their social development and imagination as well as explore, discover and appreciate the natural world. Now we can look to expand our outdoor play area with climbing walls and gardening facilities.

“School budgets are always very tight, so any help we can get from local businesses really make a difference to the school and its pupils. Donations such as this don’t come around very often, but any donation that the school can use to improve what it already offers to the children is always very much appreciated.”

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The school is less than three miles from Gateford Quarter, where Bellway is building 110 homes, alongside public open space including a Multi-Use Games Area.

Steve Smith, Bellway East Midlands sales director, said: “As well as delivering much-needed homes at Gateford Quarter, we are committed to supporting the wider local community in and around Worksop. This donation delivers on this, giving much-needed funds towards a local primary school.

“We’re pleased to be helping The St Augustine’s Academy in its plans to develop the learning experience of its younger pupils. We hope our support will enable the school to buy the play equipment it needs to enhance its facilities for outdoor learning and play.”

For more information on the new homes at Gateford Quarter, see bellway.co.uk/new-homes/east-midlands/gateford-quarter, or call the sales team on 01909 238173.