NEW laptops and better classrooms are two of the benefits being enjoyed by school children across the South Hams.
Primary schools at Blackawton, Stoke Fleming, East Allington and Kingswear have shared in a £420,000 windfall as partners in Academies South West.
As part of a programme of work, three prefabricated buildings at Stoke Fleming used to teach Years 4, 5 and 6 have been joined together to create a smooth transition between classes for older students in the school.
The buildings have been completely refurbished with new roofing, windows, heating and flooring, enabling the continuation of quality teaching and greatly improving the students learning environment and extending the life of the buildings by at least 20 years.
Head Sarah Simnett said she was enthusiastic about the opportunities and support now available to all the schools since forming Academies South West.
Students at Stoke Fleming are designing class logos and the winning designs will become part of a mural on the central refurbished building painted by local artist James Stewart.
Other schools in the Our Federation group have benefitted from replacing older windows, essential roof repairs, and improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of heating and lighting systems.
The Academies South West team of computer network engineers and technicians have replaced the entire network infrastructure in all of the primary schools, as well as equipping them with 150 laptops, 60 iPads and interactive projectors for the teaching staff.
‘The new resources are making a big difference for both children and teachers,’ said Kingswear teacher Rachel Burris. ‘The Tapestry programme on the iPad allows teachers to share information with parents, creating a continuous learning journey that parents can be involved in and so are able to follow their children’s progress.’
Tom Pether, head of Blackawton Primary School, said: ‘The new resources have proved an indispensable aid to further enrich our students’ development and creative learning.’