Castleward Spencer Academy holds official opening ceremony
Members of the school and community came together for the opening ceremony at Castleward Spencer Academy, which included performances from children and a speech by the Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire.
Children, teachers and parents gathered in the hall of Castleward Spencer Academy yesterday to celebrate the official opening of the school with addresses by school leaders, performances by the pupils, and a ribbon-cutting by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant Elizabeth Fothergill, CBE.
The school opened in 2021 with only five students, but the official opening was delayed first due to restrictions relating to Covid-19; then, in 2022, the school generously opened their doors to a local nursery in need of temporary accommodation. Now Castleward Spencer Academy serves over 80 children, all of whom offered their talents in art, poetry, song and dance in celebration of their school. To commemorate the occasion, they all received teddy bears and a copy of The Big Book of Belonging.
Principal Lindsay Trail, Head of Primary Education Angela O’Brien, OBE and Lord-Lieutenant Fothergill addressed the audience, acknowledging the incredible impact of Castleward’s partnerships with both the city of Derby and Morgan Sindall Construction, who both built the school and donated a wildly popular book vending machine.
Mrs. O’Brien said, “Opening Castleward Spencer Academy was a unique challenge for the Trust, but under Lindsay Trail and her team’s leadership it has absolutely blossomed. The children’s amazing manners and wonderful performances are a testament to what the school has accomplished in such a short time.”
Mrs. Trail said, “Being part of the journey so far has been truly amazing. Watching the school be built, as part of the Castleward regeneration project to developing a high-quality learning environment where our children flourish and are developing a lifelong love of learning, is every leader’s dream.”
