Broadacre students celebrate everything their new building has to offer in official opening

Broadacre Primary School staff and students were joined by Sewell Construction, Hull Esteem Consortium, Hull City Council, the Goodwin Development Trust and Humber Education Trust in an official opening celebration of the new £8.2million build.

Staff and pupils moved in back in March, and after a couple of months settling in, wanted the opportunity to invite key partners back to showcase life in their new school.

A special highlights film was shown in the school assembly, with students speaking about their own experience in their school so far and what it means to them. This was followed by an unveiling of a piece of artwork Broadacre students designed with Luke Garner, a learner from the Goodwin Development Trust. Luke has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism, and has been a key ambassador for Autism Awareness in his own right, throughout the project.

The new Broadacre Primary School prides itself on being an inclusive learning space for all. It is the first purpose-built space for children with Autism spectrum condition (ASC) needs in Hull, which is fully integrated into a mainstream primary school.

Lisa Staines, Executive Head at Broadacre Primary School said: “It was so exciting to move into the new school building after February half term. I’m amazed how quickly the staff and pupils have settled in – it feels as if we have been here forever. We’re so lucky to have a brand new building with all its facilities, such as the two halls, the MUGA, and the ASC Base.

“Today is a celebration, and a thank you for our fantastic new school. Everyone really enjoys working and playing together, making the most of everything our new building has to offer.”

Children and staff at Broadacre have worked closely with Sewell Construction and our delivery partners Esteem throughout the project. Together, we have celebrated key milestones with the pupils at the heart of it all, working to encourage blended learning, inclusivity and diversity every step of the way.

Two students stood up in front of their peers and stakeholders in the opening assembly, and said:

“Everybody at Broadacre feels extremely privileged to have such an amazing school. We’re lucky to have many things such as the MUGA, lockers, our brand-new playground with the paintings on the floor – which can be very helpful to help children learn the time – and the ASC base.

“In the ASC base there is a boy named Alfred who enjoys guided reading, Sebastian likes drawing, and Brandon likes choosing time and the ASC base in general. We’re fortunate to have the space for three classes per year group, which will allow our school family to grow.

“Once again we would like to thank you for taking the time out of your day to explore Broadacre and its wonders!”

The new school provides an additional 210 pupil places, along with a 52-place nursery. It has been designed and built sustainably, with maximum energy efficiency, including solar panels on the roof and electric vehicle charging points. The children will also enjoy bug hotels and bird boxes around the school, along with CCTV in one of the boxes so children can see first-hand wildlife interactions.

Watch ‘The Journey of Broadacre Primary School’ below.