Star Wars legend Warwick Davis opens £2.4m extension at The Bellbird Primary School in Cambridge
Top TV and film actor Warwick Davis took the starring role at the opening of a new £2.4m extension for a Sawston school.
Mr Davis, who appeared in Star Wars, Return of the Jedi, Harry Potter and who is currently the host of the popular quiz show Tenable, opened the extension at The Bellbird Primary School,
The building, which increases the school’s capacity from 330 to 420 places, consists of five new classrooms with associated storage, toilets and cloakroom.
Mr Davis, who was accompanied by wife Sammy and daughter Annabelle, said: “I was delighted to be invited to officially open the new extension to the Bellbird School – it is a wonderful school and a great pleasure to attend the event.”
School governor Dr Tim Wreghitt added: “Thank you Warwick, Sammy and Annabelle for making the official opening of the Bellbird School extension such a great success. The children were really inspired.”
A spokesperson for the school added: “We had a wonderful afternoon as we were joined by Warwick Davis and daughter Annabelle for our celebration assembly and official opening of our extension.”
One of the school’s existing classrooms has been converted to a multi-use practical room/breakfast and after school club; a space for staff planning and preparation has been created; and the central atrium has been extended to provide additional group and learning space.
The area around the new building has been landscaped and the hard play area extended.
The project was delivered by Jeakins Weir to a design by Pick Everard and was overseen by Cambridgeshire County Council’s project managers, Faithful and Gould.
Katie Kendall, the school’s headteacher, said: “The children are all thoroughly enjoying their new learning spaces in the classrooms as well as a fabulous new performance area. Our breakfast and after school club children are delighted with their new area too, which allows them greater opportunities for big play, such as den building and scooter racing.”