A PRIMARY school celebrated its centenary year with the opening of two new gardens designed by parents and staff.

Hazelwood School, Hazelwood Lane, has itself raised a massive £28,000 to pay for improvements to its grounds over the past year.

The improvements include new climbing equipment, a new sandpit and fencing, and moving the main entrance to allow a centenary garden to be created at the front of the school.

The centenary garden includes a large flowerbed and covered story telling area with high-backed chairs printed with “tell us a story”, which was part-designed by learning support assistant Sally Mason.

With an additional £4,000 grant from a Supergrounds programme, which provides money for doing up school playgrounds, a new wildlife garden has been created at the rear.

Keely Brook, a stay at home mum who did a garden design course at Capel Manor college, designed and laid the wildlife garden with the help of children, about ten parents and the British Society of Conservation Volunteers.

It features wild flowers such as foxgloves, a silver birch tree and a wooden structure designed to encourage insects, with logs and woodchippings donated by a local company.

The mum of Ruby and Daisy Brooks, 11 and 7, who are both at the school, said: “It was fun, a lot of hard work. All the kids helped. It is a legacy really, and it will only get better. It's nice to put something back in to the school. It's just a place to explore, a bit of a green oasis.”

Headteacher Sue Bigio said: “Before, the kids only had a piece of ground at the bottom of the playground which was vaguely green. The enthusiasm the children have shown has been amazing. We have had dirty lessons where children have come in their own clothes to help with the garden. When we took the tarmac up children thought it was the moon, and we have had some amazing creative writing coming out of it. Some of them have never been into a garden before because they live in flats and parks round here are sparse.

“We want to have a much more active outdoor curriculum.”

She added: “What I am really delighted about is that a lot of people have worked together for the benefit of the children. Keeley did this free of charge and gave up a lot of time.”

Parent Emma Renny, who has an 11-year-old, a nine-year-old and a seven-year-old at the school, said: “The organisation that has been put into this is amazing. Keely has worked so hard – it was a pile of tarmac five or six weeks ago. It has been lovely – all the kids are talking about it.”

Today was also the school's summer fete, featuring pony rides, a children's choir and a variety of games and activities.

Mayor Eleftherios Savva was also there to open the new gardens, along with Am member Joanne McCartney who has three children at the school.

The school was built in 1908 and is celebrating its centenary with a variety of events this academic year.