The new setting is the result of a significant amount of planning and hard work by the academy. Following a successful bid to the Department for Education (DfE), the academy secured a capital grant to support the construction of the new nursery building.

Over the summer holidays, the academy worked tirelessly, with support from the Diocese of Coventry Multi Academy Trust colleagues, to ensure the building was ready to welcome children in time for the new academic year. An opening event was held just before the children joined, providing an opportunity for staff, colleagues and members of the school community to celebrate this important milestone.

The building was officially opened by Barry Cockcroft CBE, Chair of the Board of the Diocese of Coventry Multi Academy Trust, who marked the occasion and recognised the work that had gone into making the new provision a reality

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The nursery opened its doors to children on Monday 7 September, welcoming 22 children aged two and three. Of these, all but two are siblings of children already on roll at Stretton CE Academy.

Roberta Mainwaring, the Headteacher of Stretton CofE Academy said “this is a significant achievement for the academy and reflects our ambition to provide high-quality early years education that supports children and families from the very beginning of their educational journey. The new nursery provision will help the academy build strong relationships with families at an early stage, support continuity as children move into school, and ensure that local families have access to a welcoming and nurturing early years setting.”

Michael Cowland, CEO of the Diocese of Coventry Multi Academy Trust said, “We are delighted to have opened a new nursery provision and welcome our first children. This has been a major project, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped bring it to fruition, including the team at Stretton, the Department for Education, and our wider Diocese of Coventry Multi Academy Trust colleagues. It is particularly exciting to see how many of our places have been taken up by siblings of children already at the academy. This demonstrates the trust families place in our school and reflects our goal of providing strong early years provision that supports our existing families and the wider local community. We look forward to seeing our youngest children grow, learn and flourish in their new setting.”

The opening marks an exciting new chapter for Stretton CE Academy as it continues to develop its provision and strengthen its support for children and families across the community.