A new, exciting addition to the All Saints VA Primary School site in Gresford has recently opened, bringing a fantastic new space for local pupils.
After months of meticulous planning, the school have proudly unveiled their new library facility which also features an ICT suite and therapy room.
One of the school’s ongoing priorities is the support and development of reading and literacy across the school. With this new library facility, the dedicated staff can continue with this goal for their young learners.
The library building itself arrived by crane on Clappers Lane and is big enough to accommodate whole-class visits going forward.
Inspiring visits
Inspiration for the new building came from a recent visit to Eton House School in Singapore which was a great success. During the visit, staff at All Saints noticed how pupils were engaging with classic novels and exploring titles independently in the library facilities of Eton House.
Upon seeing how positively the children responded to such a diverse range of titles, the All Saints staff were determined to create and provide a similar space for our local children in the hopes of inspiring a lifelong love for reading.
Hard work pays off
Following advice from the Education department in Wrexham council, All Saints headteacher, Mr Richard Hatwood, secured funding from Libraries for Primaries and The National Lottery, alongside investment from the school budget.
The hard work and dedication of Mr Hatwood ensured the funding would enable the school to be able to purchase and repurpose the mobile building that has now become the new library.
Months of meticulous planning has led to the finished article proudly on site today, a vibrant, welcoming and purposeful learning space. Here, pupils can come and develop a genuine passion for reading.
Speaking on the opening of the new library space, Mr Hatwood said “After a number of months, it is brilliant to finally open the doors to the new library and see our pupils enthusiastically responding to it.
“I want to thank everyone who has helped make this a reality along the way and to all those who helped secure the funding. This is a very exciting new chapter in the story of our school.
“We aim to build and grow on the initial success we’ve found to hopefully continue to give the children of our community the best possible environment we can for them to learn and to inspire them though the fantastic array of titles we have here”.
Grand Opening
The school marked the arrival of the new library with an official opening to celebrate the latest addition to the site.
The Mayor of Wrexham, Councillor Jeremy Kent was in attendance to help mark the special occasion and to take a look at what the All Saints library had to offer.
Speaking about the opening, the Mayor said “This is such a well deserved addition to the school. I know how dedicated the staff at All Saints Primary are and I know how much effort has gone in to making this come to fruition.
“The new library looks incredible and you can see that the pupils are already thrilled to have such a brilliant space. It was lovely to see how excited they all were on seeing the room and the immense range of books to enjoy.
“I want to congratulate Mr Hatwood and all the wonderful staff at All Saints Primary on such a fantastic achievement and I hope there are many happy hours discovering the joys of the written word”.
Exciting new chapters
As of September, All Saints welcomed their new head librarian, Miss Cook. She will be taking the lead on the organisation and cataloguing of the school’s ever-growing collection of books.
She will also be a key figure in helping the pupils make the most of this exciting new facility and gain access to a plethora of reference materials.
Now, pupils can look forward to many hours of discovering whole new worlds through the power of reading thanks to their new library providing the backdrop to their next adventures.
Councillor Phil Wynn, Lead Member for Education said “It is wonderful to hear of the new addition of the library facility to All Saints Primary School. Literature is a key element of any young learner’s education and development.
“I know how diligently the staff here have worked to provide the highest quality facility they could for their pupils and I want to congratulate them on successfully making their vision a reality.
“Thank you to all who helped bring this excellent space to the local community”.
