Hearty reasons for a celebration

The Leyland school won praise from inspectors who visited for the Office for Standards in Education and has also created a new garden at the heart of the facility.

Woodlea received a Good grading from Ofsted, which came after two years of hard work by everyone associated with it to improve standards.

Headteacher Jillian Shorrocks said she was delighted with the positive comments made by inspectors as a result of the latest inspection .

These included:“Teaching is good and improving and pupils’ attainment is rising. The children are consistently respectful and show good manners to each other and to visitors.”

Parents described Woodlea as “a lovely school that provides a healthy, happy environment where pupils thrive”.

The new area, in the quad is known as The Heart of the School, and was created out of an unused area of land.

Mrs Shorrocks said the pupils through the Eco Committee, came up with suggestions for developing it further.

She added: “Two new governors joined the school; Fiona Sharpe and Nic McGrath. They were keen to use local business and Social Enterprise.

“They became project managers and took the lead.

“They contacted Community Payback, who then gave us Paul Eccles to work with his team on Saturdays during the winter months.

“They cleared and cut down the overgrown plants, bushes and weeded the whole space.”

Continuing with the project weekly, Paul salvaged what he could of the sleepers in the area, which had in the past been used for seating and bedding boxes.

The old sleepers were used for new seating.

Brian Caunce, a groundwork specialist from Southport, became involved and gave his time and resources for free. It now contains picnic tables, seating, a sensory area, planters and a willow shelter.

A formal opening, attended by parents and governors, has been held and it will be used by both the school and St Andrew’s and Woodlea Kids Club, based at the school, as a before, after school and holiday club.