New nursery provision for up to 52 children to open in Wisbech - with a breakfast club too and out of term activities planned

Nursery school provision will be boosted in Wisbech this autumn when Peckover opens it new pre-school building for up to 52 three and four-year-olds.

Wisbech Standard: Carrie Norman, the Principal of Peckover Primary School, Wisbech, has officially been handed the keys of the school’s new pre-school building. The purpose-built facility, which opens in September, will cater for up to 52 three and four-year-olds and have a breakfast club and after-school provision. Picture: BROOKE WESTON Carrie Norman, the Principal of Peckover Primary School, Wisbech, has officially been handed the keys of the school’s new pre-school building. The purpose-built facility, which opens in September, will cater for up to 52 three and four-year-olds and have a breakfast club and after-school provision. Picture: BROOKE WESTON (Image: Archant)

Principal Carrie Norman was officially handed over the keys of the new building that will open for 48 weeks a year and run a holiday club outside of term.

Her ambitions don't stop there for the school will have a breakfast club and after-school provision.

An extension to the primary school has also been added to provide a 'nurture base' for pastoral work with students and their parents.

All those involved in the new pre-school, including contractors and councillors, toured the building before the handover ceremony.

Brooke Weston Trust's primary executive principal Leyton Smith said: "It is an amazing resource.

"The students are going to have a great start to their education. The building is really high quality. Time and effort has been put into thinking it through so that the finished product not only looks good, but you can see why decisions have been made."

He added: "It will be amazing when the furniture and resources are installed and we know the great work that Carrie and her team do at Peckover."

Tim Laws, senior operations manager for the trust said: 'The school has had such high aspirations for what they wanted.

"So the ability to combine all three projects, the pre-school, the car park and the nurture base into one overall project has allowed us to deliver it with much better value and better quality overall."

He said this was superior than to have approached it "piecemeal and end up with something perhaps not as co-ordinated. It has been part of a mini-masterplan in terms of developing the campus over a two or three year period"

He added: "It is the vision that the school has had for what they want; it is a real legacy and something we are very proud of."

David Oliver, chair of governors, said: "The contractor has done a brilliant job. The design of it is fantastic and I think it is going to be one of the best pre-schools in the Wisbech area. It is something we have always needed this side of the river.'

Sam McGovern, nursery manager said: 'We are very excited about this. We have got so many families with nursery aged children who can't take them to nursery because the location is so far. It is going to make such a difference to our families and the builders have been amazing.'

Jo German, education capital projects officer at the county council said: "In Wisbech, certainly this side of the river, there was virtually no pre-school provision.

"On the basis of that, the need for more early years places and the need to support parents, we felt that this was the right place to put a pre-school."

She said: "It is great talking to the team; they are so excited about starting in September."