A ground-breaking ceremony has been held to celebrate the beginning of construction on a new school in Norfolk.

Morgan Sindall Construction commenced work on the project, which will see a new £8 million facility built on Coachmakers Way in the village of Hethersett near Norwich.

Designed by NPS Property Consultants Ltd, Hethersett Woodside Infant & Nursery will feature a new 420-place primary school and standalone nursery for 56 children. The two-storey school will also include a dedicated hard play area and play equipment for the students.

John Stedman, framework manager at Morgan Sindall Construction in the East, said: "We are delighted to be starting work on this project, which will enrich the lives of local students and help to meet the growing need for more school places in Norfolk.

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"We look forward to collaborating and working closely with the local community and the wider project team as we deliver the new school and nursery.

"Morgan Sindall Construction has a wealth of experience in delivering outstanding educational facilities, and the new school will provide local students with a first-class learning environment from which to begin their academic journey."

This project also forms part of Norfolk County Council's £169 million county-wide investment programme to increase the number of school places in growing communities.

Councillor John Fisher, Cabinet Member for Children's Services at Norfolk County Council added: "This is another important milestone investment in our children’s education and supporting our schools to provide the best possible start in life for our youngest residents.

"This new primary school is an essential part of the overall plan to create scores of additional school places for the growing community in Hethersett. It will also ensure that children will be able to go all through their primary education without having the disruption of moving from infant to junior schools at a critical stage in their school lives. All the evidence shows that young learners do much better when they learn in one school."

(CM/JG)