Delight as new hall lands at Bassetlaw primary school

The expansion at the Grade II listed Victorian building has been the subject of a long campaign by Nottinghamshire County Council, with East Markham Primaty School being one of only a few in the area with no school hall.

Councillor Tracey Taylor, chairman of the Children and Young People’s Committee, said that the “fantastic expansion had been a long time coming”.

The building, as well as a new classroom and upgrade of the school’s dining facilities, was funded with £1.4m from the council’s basic need fund.

Headteacher Mrs Laura Duggin said the staff and pupils at the community school, which is maintained by Nottinghamshire County Council, were “delighted with its new hall, classroom and kitchen and are looking forward to using these facilities for many events in the future”.

Mrs Duggin added: “It’s such an invaluable resource for us. We’re growing in numbers as a school and we’re so excited for the benefits that the new hall will bring to our community.

“It means that children can have their lunch together, be taught PE lessons in bad weather, perform plays and concerts and have a space to meet and hold celebrations.

“We’re looking forward to the opportunities our new space allows us and are excited to use this moving forward.”

Freya in Year 4 and Dixie in Year 2 said they loved their new school hall because they can now “eat lunch and talk to friends”.