Plans for new classrooms at expanding Barnard Castle primary school

FOUR extra classrooms and an enhanced nursery have been lined up at an award-winning Barnard Castle primary school.

Montalbo Primary School will also be home to an upgraded assembly hall, a new staff room and an extended playground should proposals lodged with planners get the go ahead.

Durham County Council aims to extend the existing school building on its western side with four new classrooms and a new link up building between the main body of the school and an upgraded nursery.

An accessible toilet for pupils is also in the blueprints as well as 26 parking bays, new offices and a new fence around the school playing fields to encourage children to use them more at break times.

It will mean Montalbo School will be able to provide for up to 210 pupils alongside a 30-place nursery should the build go ahead.

Governor Belinda Thompson said the project was very extensive and “absolutely fantastic”.

She added: “I know that there has been a lot of people trying to get their children into the school and we had a lot of children from Startforth after the school there closed.

“Hopefully it’s all going to go ahead quickly and will be a big boost to the school for the next few years.”

Planning statements on behalf of the development state the renovation would “improve the nursery provision” and offer “enhanced facilities”.

Other renovation features include an outside learning area joined onto the four new classrooms and a free-standing canopy for the nursery.

Many dale children joined the school after Startforth Morritt Memorial Primary School was shut by the county council at the end of last year.

Montalbo was also crowned school of the year at last month’s Teesdale Mercury Community Pride Awards.

Mrs Thompson said demand for places had remained high.

“It’s a really big extension – it’s already a fantastic school and it will be so good for the area,” she added.

“It’s what is needed given all the new houses being built.”