PUPILS at Alton’s Wootey Junior School will be returning after half-term to a very different working environment.

The Department of Education is currently funding an extensive £2.27m rebuild project designed to catapult the early 1970s building into the 21st century.

With a current pupil roll of 185, but a capacity for up to 240, and a “really good” Ofsted report under their belt for last year, headteacher Tim O’Brien said the refurbishment should make Wootey Junior School an attractive proposition, especially for those children who will be moving into the 275-home development currently being built on the neighbouring Cadnam Farm site on Upper Anstey Lane by Persimmon and Martin Grant Homes.

The work at the school will include provision of a new roof and complete re-cladding of the exterior brickwork, together with new exterior windows and doors. Inside the school, there will be a number of internal redecoration improvements and new toilets for the children. In addition, Hampshire County Council has approved funding for a new ‘nurture’ room for children, as well as a new staffroom and office space.

The school currently employs 37 members of staff, including 14 teachers.

While consideration had been given to knocking down and rebuilding the school at a cost of around £5m, according to Mr O’Brien the decision was taken instead to keep the school open, enabled by the erection on site of two temporary classrooms, and to go for a three-phase rebuild project, within the existing footprint, with the aim of creating a building to meet the needs of future generations and “fit to last another 50 years”.

While the two temporary classroom blocks, comprising four classrooms, are now in place on the site of the garden area of the school playground, there are plans afoot, once the refurbishment is complete, to improve the landscaping and provide improved access to the site, particularly for those with disabilities.

Located between the junior school and neighbouring infant school, with a new pathway installed to link them to the hall, each block will be supplied with water, heating, wi-fi, a cloakroom and toilets. To be completed over half term, the classrooms are expected to be ready for Year 3 and Year 5 children to move into when they return to school on Monday.

This will enable Chichester-based contractors W Stirland to start work on phase one of the project which is to rebuild the western side of the teaching block, usually occupied by Years 3 and Year 5. This should be completed in January.

Phase two, the eastern side of the teaching block and occupied by Year 4 and Year 6, will then be rebuilt. These year groups will move across into the newly-built western side of the teaching block. This phase should be completed by March when Year 3 and Year 5 will move back into the school.

Phase three, involving the hall and office block, will be the final area to be rebuilt, with the whole project scheduled for completion by June next year.

In a letter to parents, Mr O’Brien said: “We will be working very hard in the coming months to minimise disruption and to continue to provide an excellent standard of education for your children.”

The aim is to arrange a public meeting after half term to enable parents and neighbours to view the plans for the school site and to meet the contractors.