AN OUTSTANDING school in Leicester has celebrated its new building with an official opening event.
Catherine Infant School, in Belgrave, has been completely rebuilt, with new solar panels, larger play areas, a sports pitch and an outdoor classroom, as well as 15 new classrooms, a new library and a sports hall.
There are also new rooms for the school’s on-site unit for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), plus rooms for work in small groups to help give pupils extra support when they need it.
Catherine Infant School was one of 50 schools in the country to be rebuilt under a previous Government scheme to bring outdated buildings up to standard. Work began in May 2023 and pupils and staff moved into the new buildings in January 2025.
Demolition of the old building was completed in March this year and the area where the old building stood has now been landscaped.
Headteacher Mitesh Madhaw said: “We are absolutely delighted with our new building and grounds. We now have the space and facilities we need to support and inspire learning – and we’re already seeing the benefits, because our recent Ofsted inspection saw us retain our outstanding quality of education.
“I’m immensely proud that we have been able to achieve this while managing a major building programme. We all put the children first and this has paid off.
“Also, because the new building is two-storey and occupies a smaller footprint than the previous school, significantly more space has been given over to outdoor areas for learning and play, which is a fantastic improvement.”
To mark the official opening of the new building, the whole school celebrated in style with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, a live band, whole-school singing and a summer festival in the playground.
Assistant city mayor for education, Cllr Elaine Pantling, who attended the official opening, said: “We are very proud to support Catherine Infant School. It’s so important for both pupils and staff that they have the right learning environment and now, thanks to this rebuilding, they have got fantastic facilities for the future.
“It’s also great to see such good provision at Catherine Infants for those pupils who need a little extra help and support with their learning, so that they can be an integral part of the school community.”
The school has space for up to 430 pupils, including 10 specialist provision places and a 60-place nursery. More than 80 members of staff work on the premises.
ENDS