8:20pm Thursday 2nd July 2009
By Gina Bebbington
A NEW centre will help a Barnton school become a real hub for all ages of its community.
Plans to create a SureStart children’s centre at Barnton Primary School, in Townfield Lane, have been approved by Cheshire West and Chester (CWAC) councillors.
This will see part of the school refurbished to provide a whole host of services for very young families and expectant parents.
Head teacher Annette Chapman said: “Barnton is a bit out on a limb so I think the school gives people of Barnton a focus.
“We want to be a hub of the community.
“We’ve already got good links with parents and our wider community, providing support with a stay and play group for mums and toddlers and a Thursday Club for older members of the community.
“This raises children’s awareness and respect for older people in the community and engages those more mature people to understand the youth of today – it’s a two-way relationship.”
Children’s centres are independently run and are aimed at children under five and their families.
Services can include early education and childcare, advice and support for parents, including advice to help them back to work, and child and family health services.
CWAC’s planning board B gave the plans the green light at its meeting on Tuesday, June 23.
Mrs Chapman said: “We’re really proud of what we achieve in school here.
“We’re really lucky with fantastic staff and children and supportive parents.
“The opportunity to have a children’s centre gives us an opportunity to engage with parents early.”
Barnton Primary School is already reaching out to the wider community with its mums and toddlers group but hopes the children’s centre will expand this further.
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