New garden for school

A large construction company generously donated its time, materials and expertise to carry out a number of developments at a Sonning school.

The Kier Group has helped Sonning CofE School to continue the upgrade of its school grounds.

The works were significant; including the development of the ‘quiet garden’ area, fencing, playground markings, repairs to the school car park and installation of steps onto the school field.

The Kier team, led by Phillip Jaap (Area Manager) and Dan Hawkes (Supervisor) worked in close partnership with subcontractors and school staff to complete the works, which have saved the school many thousands of pounds.

The new section of fence is a vast improvement over the old section which was only still standing “by luck”. The patching in the car park and playground is not only more aesthetically pleasing but also carries a safety benefit as it is no longer presenting a trip hazard.

“These upgrades to the school were well overdue, but unfortunately we didn’t have the funds to complete them independently,” said headmaster Luke Henderson.

“We are all extremely grateful to the team from Kier which not only completed all the work for free but also completed the works to a very high standard. The children will be able to enjoy the improvements for the foreseeable future.”

A spokesperson for Kier added: “The playground transformation is awesome, and I think something the children will enjoy. Many thanks to the lads on site too, who had to get creative to decipher what some of the original markings were due to them being virtually worn to nothing. However, what they have produced looks really vibrant and should do so for many years.”

The school’s PTA had previously raised more than £45,000 to build a brand-new adventure playground for its pupils. Around half of the funds raised were invested in improving the groundworks to stop flooding on the new site for the adventure playground.