Inside Shrewsbury's 'school of opportunity' which only opened 18 months ago but is making big waves
Despite having been open for less than 18 months, there is already lots to brag about at the excellent Bowbrook Primary School.
There's also lots to love for those who attend the Shrewsbury primary school, which prides itself on being "the school of opportunity".
During our visit to the school, which opened in September of 2023, a local nurse was welcomed into the building to help inspire the next generation.
Headteacher (and former Shrewsbury Town footballer) Sam Aiston admitted that parents took a chance sending their children to the new school, not knowing what it would be like and become.
But one thing is for sure - they must be delighted with their decision after seeing how the school has developed and become the top quality education provider that it is today.
Enrichment is at the heart of this welcoming school, which seeks to be as active as it can within the community. Alongside regularly welcoming visitors from various sectors and different backgrounds and cultures, children are given unique opportunities including swimming and Spanish lessons from as early as the age of four, and partake in sports such as fencing.
Boasting a large site with new state-of-the-art facilities, the school is continuing to add to its offerings and has plans to expand in the near future. But children can already enjoy a wonderful sensory room, cookery room, dance studio and library, and will have further fun in the school's music room, and IT suite that are coming soon.
"We have lots of space to make sure in future that children have everything they need for the best education," said headteacher Mr Aiston. "We have a lot of role models in for our children. We like getting lots of visitors in and to try and inspire them and provide role models."
Within the primary school's dance studio is the 'imagination playground' where children can build and play, be active and physical, and as Mr Aiston alluded to, burn off some of their of energy.
Children have great fun at this school, and are taught and care for by amazing teachers who do their best to provide the very best education.
"We’re really proud of what we have managed to establish here and hopefully it will continue," added Bowbrook Primary School's headteacher.
"It has been a learning experience for everyone, but very exciting at the same time. Because starting from scratch, we started with six to seven members of staff and 26 pupils, now we have quadrupled the amount of pupils and tripled the staff.
"We are getting bigger quite quickly and it has been a real journey for us and the parents because they took a chance sending their children to us before the school was even built, but now we are massively over-subscribed, and we have a waiting list.
"We try to do as much as we can to enrich the children’s lives, enrichment is huge for us. Yes, we do all of the basics with reading and writing, and maths, like every school does, but for us that is what makes our school special and unique."
The school wants its children to believe that they can live and work anywhere in the world and have no limits to their goals and ambitions.
'Be kind, be ready and be safe' are also simple rules that children embrace.
The school has a variety of children from different backgrounds and cultures, with children originally from Nigeria, India, the Philippines, Canada, forming what Mr Aiston said is a "rich culture".
He added: "This school wants to be at the centre of the community. We have a lot of children from different countries and we want to be a place where people can come together and mingle.
"And we want parents' input - they provide a lot, and we are all working together to provide the best possible education for the children."
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