Staff join forces for Hadfield school revamp

Staff have joined forces and given up their free time to give St Charles' Catholic Voluntary Academy a makeover.

In recent months, leaders, teachers, support staff and caretaker Benjamen Alimambo have been busy painting every classroom and revamping the Hadfield school’s popular Peace Garden.

New carpets have been fitted in classrooms which have also been kitted out with new tables and chairs.

A wall at one end of the school’s Peace Garden has been demolished and new seating and planting are in the pipeline to make it a more welcoming space.

Headteacher Bernadette Quirke said it had been brilliant to see the whole school, which is part of the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, pulling together.

She said: “This has been a whole school effort involving our teachers, support staff and our caretaker.

“Mental health and well-being is one of our top priorities, for both our staff and children and their families, and we wanted to provide them with some nice spaces in which to learn.

“Our Peace Garden had been largely unused because the wall at one end meant we couldn’t see the children inside. Now that’s gone we are hoping to get some new seating installed and some plants so that the children can use that to have some quiet time. 

“We wanted to reconnect the garden to our mission as a school. 

“Getting outdoors and experiencing nature is very important when it comes to mental health and our children really enjoy being outside in our lovely grounds. 

“We make the most of that because we also run Forest Schools, which our children love.”

Mrs Quirke’s daughter Anna, who is a talented artist, has also been helping out by creating some bespoke artwork for the Year 6 students who left to go on to secondary school before the summer.

She also completed art work for the new arrivals into the school’s Reception class this year.