Staffordshire school’s new library set to open following housebuilder’s donation

- 11 Jun 21

St Leonard’s First School & Nursery, based in the Staffordshire village of Dunston, will officially open its new woodland themed library – named The Reading Tree – following a donation from a local housebuilder. Bovis Homes, whose Partridge Walk development is located nearby in Stafford, has donated £1,000 to the First School & Nursery which will go towards an outdoor storytelling chair and stools. The Storytellers’ Wooden Chair, which allows for teaching staff and pupils to enjoy reading outside, is set to arrive in time for the library’s opening. This follows a previous donation of £2,500 by Bovis Homes, matched by the school’s Parents, Teachers and Friends Association, which went towards the library’s renovation. The First School & Nursery, which has 67 pupils between the ages of 3 and 9, will officially open the new library on Thursday, 24th June, with popular children’s author, Charlotte Guillain, sharing her new book ‘What Did the Tree See?’ with pupils via a personalised video link. Coronavirus restrictions permitting, a Bovis Homes representative and the school’s PTFA will also be joining the celebrations. Louise Macrae, regional marketing manager, said: “We are thrilled to able to support the school and its local community. It’s been fantastic to see the progress of the new library and the outdoor reading area and we look forward to its official opening. “The joy of reading can’t be understated – pages transporting us to new worlds and meeting exciting new people – and we hope the children at St Leonard’s will have many years of fun in there.” Tracey Parton, headteacher at St Leonard’s, said: “We’re thrilled to officially unveil the new library. When I joined the school at the beginning of 2019, I was eager to transform the outdated computer suite into a space our pupils and staff would love. We’ve definitely achieved that with The Reading Tree. It’s been transformed into a calming environment, with lots of colour and imagination, and everyone enjoys being in there. The storytelling chair and stools will go in our outside reading area.” “We’d like to thank Bovis Homes for their support. Without this donation, and the help and fundraising by the Parents, Teachers and Friends Association, this wouldn’t have been possible. It’s lovely to think that those that have helped will be able to see their children enjoy what this facility has to offer.” Partridge Walk, off Stone Road, has beautiful countryside on its doorstep while being within easy reach of the amenities Stone and Stafford have to offer. The development will boast a range of stylish two, three and four-bedroom homes in its first phase and prospective house hunters are encouraged to register their interest on the Bovis Homes website for the latest updates.