John Battle MP opens primary school's new play area

John Battle MP (Lab, Leeds West) has opened today (8 June) a new adventure playground at Burley St Matthias C of E Primary School, Burley Road.

The School Council, along with members of the Governing Body and Headteacher Mrs Caroline Robinson, welcomed Mr Battle and local councillor John Illingworth (Lab, Kirkstall) to open the play area and to join the children for lunch in school.

The School Council, comprising of pupils from all years of the school, formally welcomed Mr Battle and Cllr Illingworth, before they cut the ribbon on the play area.

Burley St Matthias has recently upgraded all its facilities, both inside and out, to make learning at the school much more exciting and fun for its younger pupils.

The outdoor environment especially has been extended and totally refurbished to give the younger children access to a sheltered outdoor classroom with planting areas, sand, outdoor blackboards, bikes and a playhouse – all dedicated to use by reception age children.

The opening of a new adventure playground, built by Bridge Timber, will allow all children in Key Stage 1 to improve their physical capabilities in a safe and fun way. Burley St Matthias is the only primary school in the local area that boasts two playing fields and has unrivalled facilities for Key Stage 1 children.

Mr Battle said: “I’m delighted to be opening this new adventure playground, which will be a great facility for the school in the years to come. It's important that we invest in school playgrounds in order to encourage children to be active as part of a healthy lifestyle, and this is one of the best play areas I’ve seen. There is a huge amount of green space in the school, which they have made great use of. I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate the pupils and staff on their achievement."

Anna Hall, parent governor, said: “We are so proud of the facilities Burley St Matthias has to offer for our children entering Reception and the adventure playground is a fantastic addition to the range of outside activities on offer. The thing is, it's hidden away from public view which is great for our children's privacy - but we still want local parents to know it's there!”

©John Battle MP 8 June 2007

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