A primary school is celebrating the completion of an expansion project, allowing more places to be available for children.

Headteacher Geoff Jeffrey,55, of Rushwick Primary School said: “Everyone involved with the school knows that it is a hidden jewel on the edge of Worcester and there is a real sense of community and genuinely caring ethos here, so we are delighted to be able to offer more places to meet the demand.

“This is my fifteenth year as headteacher and we are in the strongest position we have ever been in all that time."

In 2015, the County Council allocated £1.2 million for the school to be expanded in order to meet the growing population of Rushwick village.

A complicated building project arose and resulted in significant upgrading of the school site.

Throughout this time period the school managed to continue to thrive and grow in population year on year, to the point is had to move to one form entry in order to create class space for new pupils moving into the catchment.

However, the school, located on Upper Wick Lane, received a visit from

Ofsted

towards the end of the building work, making it difficult for teachers to “jump through the right hoops”.

In the inspection, carried out in May 2018, it was given an overall rating of "Requires Improvement’ - one place below a rating of ‘Good’ rating from the previous inspection in January 2014.

In May 2018, however, the school was given a rating of 'good' in the sub categories of 'personal development, behaviour and welfare' and 'early years provision'.

“We have turned that disappointment into a positive by embracing every single piece of support available to us in order to make us even stronger.

“They have given us a couple of years to embed our vision and the support we have had from the local authority, diocese and community has been fantastic, “ Mr Jeffrey added.

Built in 1962, it is a mixed school for pupils aged between 4 and 11.

Worcester architectural firm, Jacobs designed and managed the project and as well as creating more classroom space, the project focused on allowing natural light to enter.

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