Contractor Morgan Sindall has held a 'topping out' ceremony to celebrate the progress of a £3.1 million expansion project at a school in Essex.

The scheme will see Ryedene Primary and Nursery School in Basildon boosted with a new teaching block with eight classrooms, as well as upgrades to the school's existing facilities and an extension to create a new kitchen area.

These works will help create 210 new school places at the institution.

A new car park is also being built to provide additional parking spaces for the school as well as landscaping works to the school's outdoor space.

Chris Travers, operations director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the East of England, said: "We're pleased to be progressing well on the expansion to Ryedene Primary and Nursey School. This new facility is a testament to the incredible investment that Essex County Council is injecting into the region's education facilities.

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"Ryedene's new and improved facilities will serve as a lasting legacy for future generations of pupils to enjoy and really make the most out of this first chapter in their education. We're looking forward to continuing with work and handing over the new teaching block later this year."

Morgan Sindall Construction was appointed to the scheme under the £300 million four-year Essex Construction Framework (ECF) which has supported the construction of thousands of new school places across the region.

Councillor Ray Gooding, Essex County Council's Cabinet Member for Education, added: "I'm so pleased to see work is progressing on yet another school expansion project in Basildon. This comes following several projects to expand schools in the area over the past few years. Continued investment means we can ensure local children have access to excellent schools with high quality facilities. This is great for local communities and means families have greater choice when it comes to applying for a school place.

"Well done to everyone who has helped to get us to this stage. I look forward to seeing the new facilities at Ryedene Primary and Nursery School when the project is finally complete, as well as the expansion and construction of new schools in Basildon in the future."

(CM/MH)