DESPITE the coronavirus lockdown and a slight delay due to bad weather, the building of the new Isambard Kingdom Brunel (IKB) Primary School has begun on the Longforth Farm estate on the edge of Wellington.

The school – built of ‘modules’ – is expected to open its doors to pupils later this year, with places for 30 Reception youngsters initially and an accompanying nursery provision.

Work on clearing the site began last September and the shell of the building was completed last Thursday (May 7). The contractors are expected to hand over the building to the school in October.

The first headteacher will be Richard Healey, who has worked in three schools in Bristol, beginning his career as a class teacher, and is now headteacher of Perry Court A-ACT Academy where he has been for three years.

In his role at Perry Court he has helped take the school from the lowest performing primary school in Bristol in 2017 to the highest performing primary school in the city in 2020.

He said: “We are doing everything we can to ensure the school is ready for the start of the next academic year while remaining committed to the safety and well-being of the construction staff in line with Government advice.

“We have been in constant communication with our first cohort of parents and the Department of Education to keep them updated with all developments, and we are thrilled to see the building taking shape.”

For the full story see this week’s Wellington Weekly News.