THE finishing touches are being applied to a new primary school building in North Swindon, less than 12 months after contractors moved in.

The Tadpole Farm Primary Academy has spent the past academic year at temporary accommodation, in Redhouse Community Centre.

Principal Jane Leo and her bosses at Diocese of Bristol Academies Trust have all been looking forward to finally moving into the development site.

Borough council architect Nic Newland, led a tour of the creation yesterday.

“It’s not about the architecture; it’s about the learning environment,” he said.

“It’s a good opportunity to plan space and ensure it’s a modern education moving forward.”

“It gives them the space to change, adapt and grow.

“Very often you will get schools with either very strong governors or a very strong headteacher, or a combination.

“This isn’t about making a school to the specifications of the first headteacher.

“It has to be a school which lasts and which can work for future headteachers too.”

Contractors moved in on August 4 last year and plan to hand the finished project over to the school in mid-June.

The timber-framed build is similar in design to Nic’s other buildings, at the Even Swindon Primary School extension, and The Croft Primary School.

At capacity, the school will hold 420 pupils and 26 nursery children.

However, from September Jane and her team will bring with them 150 pupils across nursery, reception and year one classes.

“We think it’s amazing. The first time all the staff and I saw it, we thought it was really big,” said Mrs Leo.

“It’s really created a buzz of excitement, as you can imagine people are having lots of ideas about how they want to use the space.

“All of those things change and develop quickly.”

She touched upon the functionality and versatility of the build, as well as the opportunity it will bring to all pupils.

There is already a partnership lined up with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, which will bring outdoor, discovery learning to pupils.

The school has performed so well from its temporary home in Redhouse, there is now a waiting list in place for reception places.

However, it has not all been plain sailing in finalising pupil lists and the school has worked hard to change prospective parents’ opinions of a little-researched new school by offering them personal visit.

“Some people are given us when we are not one of their choices and it becomes quite a worrying time for a parent when their children are going to a school and it’s not one they’ve researched,” said Jane.

“We are hopefully making it the best bad news they have ever had. Many seem to think so after they have visited.”