Bristol school to get facilities on one site at last

Pupils at Staple Hill Primary School will finally have their classrooms and playing field all on one site under a £7.79 million scheme to replace the building.

The school is currently separated from the sports area by busy Page Road and a public car park, meaning children have to be accompanied at all times to reach the field.

As there are also no changing rooms or toilets on the field, it means the area is seldom used.

But when games and sports are played, teachers have to check the field for broken glass and dog mess because it has been impossible to keep trespassers off the site.

Now South Gloucestershire Council has drawn up a plan to build a brand new school on the field and hopes to start work next summer if planning approval is given.

Under the proposal, a 315-place school will still leave room for a football pitch and netball court on the site.

The school will also be designed with a hall that can be used for various sports and games.

Staple Hill Primary celebrated its centenary in 2006.

But the old buildings are no longer suitable, with the school housed in two main buildings and various annexes. There are even some 1950s temporary buildings still in use, even though they were only expected to last for 10 years.

The classrooms and hall are too small, insulation and acoustics are poor and the playground often floods.

But the council said one of the biggest problems was getting children safely to the playing field across Page Road and through the car park.

There used to be a changing block on the site but that was destroyed in an arson attack and with no toilets on site, children have to be supervised if they need to return to the school.

Under the scheme for the new school, the public car park will be moved to the current school site, providing a total of 72 spaces. Some of those will be designated for use by the Page Community Association.

Staple Hill councillor Shirley Potts said the old school buildings formed a local landmark and would be kept.

The plan is to refurbish them for use by nursery children and the Staple Hill SureStart children's centre.

This is where families with young children and parents-to-be can get advice and support as well as other community use.

Mrs Potts, who is also a governor at the school, said: "This is a great step forward and something that has been needed for a long time.

"Having the children crossing the road and going through the car park to the playing field has been a great worry.

"But it's also important to keep the old school buildings because they are among the oldest in Staple Hill."