A PRIMARY school has reopened after a £2.5m extension and refurbishment gave it new classrooms and outdoor play areas.

Cutteslowe Primary School headteacher Jon Gray said the school is on track to impress education watchdog Ofsted between now and Christmas, in its first inspection as an academy.

It was judged in November 2011 as “inadequate” and put in special measures, but last year came under the sponsorship of The Cherwell School Academy Trust.

Mr Gray said: “It’s an exciting time for people here and the first time we are full and have seen significant improvements over the last three years.

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“The biggest difference is the amount of space available, but what’s great is that the children are really proud of the new buildings and want to look after them.

“We now also have a much bigger catchment area, which takes in most of North Oxford. We are really looking forward to inviting new parents here.

“You hear a lot about academies in the news at the moment, but in our experience it has really worked, because it is a local solution.

“Our partnership with The Cherwell School is very strong and most of our pupils end up going there now, so we can take people from early years, right through to secondary school.

“We have also had some maths teachers come over from Cherwell for the more able students.”

Among the newest additions to the school are a new library, cooking areas, computer rooms, a drama studio, gender-specific changing rooms and new classrooms, and better facilities for pupils with special needs.

The early years and nursery departments have also grown and an outdoor forest school area is also set to be completed in October.

Year 4 pupil Isis Winterton, of Woodpecker’s Class, said she and her new friends loved the new areas of the school.

The nine-year-old, from Oxford, said: “It is really good to be in a new classroom and we get to learn lots of stuff.”

Teacher and Key Stage 2 coordinator Erin Kennedy said the school’s new space was improving the mood of pupils.

Ms Kennedy organises the school’s teaching programme for subjects studied by its seven to 11-year-olds.

She said: “There is a lot more space which is really nice because there are central areas where we can take the children and different sections for each year.

“There is a really calm atmosphere and although everyone is excited they are also much more ready to learn.”

Overall, the expansion has doubled the school’s capacity from about 250 to 520 pupils.

The refurbishments were jointly funded by Oxfordshire County Council and the Department for Education.

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