Ebbsfleet Development Corporation has pledged funding for enhancements to two local schools, benefiting the facilities for students and the local community.
A substantial investment of £675,000 has been agreed to Leigh Academies Trust to improve facilities in Cherry Orchard Primary Academy Pre-School and Ebbsfleet Academy.
In response to increasing demand for local pre-school places, funding provided to Cherry Orchard Pre-School will generate an additional 30 places over two sessions for local children to attend the nursery, with the funds transforming current facilities and ensuring ample space and resources to support learning.
At Ebbsfleet Academy, the provision of two external canopies will provide additional covered spaces, supporting the growing emphasis on outdoor learning. The Trust have identified numerous benefits of the canopies to the school, including extended recreational spaces for students, provision of a shaded and covered area to enhance the adjacent all-weather pitch, and a comfortable outdoor space for extended lessons or outdoor activities.
Ian Piper, Chief Executive of Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, said of the projects:
“The Corporation has an ambition to facilitate, through good town planning and targeted investment, a sustainable high-quality series of neighbourhoods with local facilities to support the growing community. Schools play a hugely important part in the community, and we are pleased to have worked with the Leigh Academies Trust to provide improvements to these two local schools that serve Ebbsfleet residents.”
Phil Whittall, Estates Director at Leigh Academies Trust, said:
“We are incredibly grateful to Ebbsfleet Development Corporation for their generous investment in our academies. By providing improved facilities and opportunities for learning, we can ensure we continue to support all our pupils to reach their full potential. We are particularly excited about the expansion at Leigh Academy Cherry Orchard Pre-School/Nursery, which will help to meet the growing demand for early years education in the local area, enabling us to nurture an increased number of young minds.”
Leigh Academies Trust will be responsible for submitting planning applications and delivering the project over the next few years. The additional nursery spaces for Cherry Orchard Pre-School are expected to be available by April 2026.