Pictured: Sarah Clark, Chief Executive Officer, Uttoxeter Learning Trust, and Andrea Cairns, Executive Headteacher, Bramshall Meadows First School, with pupils and the official opening plaque.
Pupils attending the new £4.3 million Bramshall Meadows First School have buried a historic time capsule as part of an official launch ceremony.
The school, on Ivinson Way, opened to pupils in September 2022. Now pupils and staff have celebrated the opening of the new facility, which is part Uttoxeter Learning Trust, with a launch event.
The guests included representatives from Uttoxeter Learning Trust, Staffordshire County Council and the construction firm G F Tomlinson as well as local MP Kate Kniveton.
During the ceremony, a time capsule containing symbolic items from all of the children was buried in the school grounds.
The capsule provides an insight into life in Britain today during a momentous year which has seen the ascension of King Charles III.
Items placed in the capsule include souvenirs from Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, a photograph of the staff and children, a storybook explaining how to keep safe from Covid-19 and a Covid-19 test.
It is anticipated that the capsule will be resurrected and opened by some of the first school’s future generation of pupils in 25 years’ time.
A commemorative plaque was also unveiled during the official launch celebrations held on Friday, October 14th, 2022.
Andrea Cairns, Executive Headteacher, Bramshall Meadows First School, said: “It has been incredibly exciting to involve our first cohort of pupils in the official opening event.
“They enjoyed choosing the contents for the time capsule and seeing the burial of it knowing that it will be opened and discussed by future generations of children.”
So far, 23 reception pupils and nursery children joined the school, which will continue to grow as children move up through the year groups.
Overall, there are 150 places for children aged four to nine-years-old and 26 nursery places for children aged three.
Facilities include a nursery, specialist classroom, multi-use hall, catering space and general classrooms as well as an outdoor sports pitch, play areas and car parking.
Sidney Slater, Chair of Trustees, Uttoxeter Learning Trust, commented: “We are delighted with the new building and facilities, and being located in the community of Bramshall Meadows. I would like to thank Staffordshire County Council and G F Tomlinson for their hard work and dedication to the project.”
The building has been constructed by Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson as part of a wider plan by Staffordshire County Council to expand first school provision locally.
The project is the first to open in response to the rise in demand for places within Uttoxeter and it has been completed through Staffordshire County Council’s capital framework.
County Councillor Jonathan Price, Cabinet Member for Education at Staffordshire County Council, said: “This school has been built in response to increased demand for places in the local area, as a result of new housing developments. It has been fantastic to see this school take shape over the last few months, and I’m pleased to see how well the pupils have settled into their new surroundings.”
Chris Flint, Managing Director of G F Tomlinson, added: “We feel very proud to have delivered Bramshall Meadows First School to help meet Staffordshire County Council’s aims for expanding school place provision in the local area.
“It is wonderful to see the children and staff enjoy their new facilities and as they settle into the school, we felt honoured to attend the opening ceremony and see the children’s excitement at burying the time capsule with their special chosen items for future generations to discover.”