The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu blessed the new expansion of Ingleby Barwick primary school this morning.
Speaking after the visit, the Archbishop said: “The Church has a proud heritage of excellence in education. I am delighted to have joined the staff and pupils at St Francis of Assisi Church of England School to celebrate the opening of this new building. It is fantastic to see young people growing in their gifts and talents and discovering more of all that they have been created to be. I pray for all at the school that it will continue to be known as a place of joy in learning for all in the local community.”
The expansion will help St Francis of Assisi Church of England School, rated by Ofsted as outstanding, to meet the demand for places from local parents. The development will see school places double to 420 and increase the total nursery places to 78. Alongside the new building, there are additional nursery, reception, teaching, sanitary and kitchen facilities.
Headteacher Paul Bramley said; “The support from the church, local authority, parents, grandparents and the community has been brilliant – and I would like to thank them for their support. This is a much-needed development for this area and we are delighted that the Archbishop gave us his blessing”.
The Archbishop led morning worship assembly and visited the new extensions of the school building, accompanied by pupils of the school.