A NEW building for children at a Wimborne school was officially opened yesterday by two canons from the local community.

St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School, which is based at Cutlers Place in Colehill, unveiled the new classrooms for the children in the Early Years group, which includes pre-school, Reception and Year One.

It was revealed with the help of Canon Chrystal, from St Anthony’s Church in West Moors, alongside Canon Noakes from St Catherine’s Church in Wimborne, who lead the parish churches which are attended by some of the school’s pupils.

Headteacher, Win Sheldon, said that the classrooms had been around two years in the making, with the aim of improving the provisions for younger children.

She added: “We wanted to enable them to have outdoor experiences throughout the year, so we have created a covered courtyard and then the children have verandas which they can stand out on.

“It enables them to have what we call freeplay and it helps them to explore and understand more about the world.

“When they first come to school, not only do a lot of them not have much motor control in terms of their handwriting, but the free play gives them a rich vocabulary to work with.

“It’s a beautiful building and it has added a whole new range of opportunities and enriched the environment of our pupils tremendously.”

The day of celebrations culminated with a picnic with the parents and families invited to sit with the children on the lawn and a magician performing some tricks to entertain the young people.

The headteacher has also invited anyone who would like to take a look at the new building to call St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School, on 01202 883763.