A NEW pre-school building has been welcomed by Steam Mills Primary School, replacing its dated predecessor.

The ribbon was officially cut on Friday, May 8 to welcome eager children and guests to preview the new Little Oaks Pre-School, a name chosen by the children.

The pre-school will be available for children aged two to four, while viewing is available upon request now, bookings will be available from June 1 to join the existing pre-schoolers - who had been moved to the Primary School’s main building during construction.

Mrs Mel Davis, Executive Headteacher of the Forest Federation, said: “It just looks amazing. It’s so light and airy and it’s purpose-built for early-years children. It’s got a lovely kitchen, it’s got disabled toilets, it’s fully functional. To be able to cater for age groups of two, three and four year-olds in our community is fantastic. We’re really proud. I think the children will be amazed.”

Prior to the ribbon-cutting, Mrs Davis gave thanks to workers of Future Rooms, who constructed the building, Gloucestershire County Council, staff, the governors, parents, and the children.

David Wildin, Chair of Governors, then gave a short speech about the site’s history and how the plans came to be.

The work by Future Rooms took around 11 weeks, however planning had been ongoing for some time previously.

Mrs Davis added: “We had a prefabricated building. When it came to the site almost twenty years ago, it was already second-hand. Although it was fit-for-purpose, it was becoming quite dated.

“The government put out early years grants that we were able to apply for, with the help of Gloucestershire County Council. This meant we could partly-fund this building with the grant and expand our early years offer.”

You can enquire about pre-school bookings by contacting Steam Mills Primary School on 01594 822567.