Erith welcomes our new school Lime Wood Primary with grand opening celebration!

Erith welcomes our new school Lime Wood Primary with grand opening celebration!
 

We were thrilled to celebrate Lime Wood Primary's grand opening marking a significant stride in educational development and community growth.

The momentous occasion which took place last week marked a significant milestone for all those involved in the development of the school and with its doors now open, the school is excited to show its commitment to providing high-quality education and fostering a nurturing environment for young minds to thrive.

Lime Wood Primary officially opened in September 2023 welcoming a cohort of Reception children and will continue to grow year by year, eventually into a three-form entry school catering for children aged 4-11. It is the newest addition to the Woodland Academy Trust, which caters for children across Bexley and Kent.

With the school’s vision to deliver a curriculum that is provided by good teachers underpinned by a culture of excellence in behaviour, attainment and wellbeing - to find the champion in everyone, Lime Wood embraces innovation, inclusivity and excellence in education.

Lime Wood Primary with its impressive structure and facilities has been built on the site of the former quarry at Erith, alongside a masterplan of more than 800 new homes as part of a development being delivered by The Anderson Group and L&Q. Our Trust has worked alongside our partners in bringing the school to life, and so the opening of Lime Wood is a special moment for all involved.

Our Trust CEO Nav Sanghara said “We are overjoyed to welcome the many hands and hearts that have brought the vision of Lime Wood Primary to life, celebrating not just the culmination of our planning and hard work but the beginning of a new legacy in education here in Erith.  As we open our doors, we are not just unveiling a building; we are launching a promise to our community—a promise of a future where education is the cornerstone of personal and collective growth. Together, we are planting the seeds for tomorrow's leaders, innovators, and compassionate citizens. Lime Wood Primary is a place where we aim to cultivate not only academic excellence but also the values that make us a community. We're not just growing a school; we are growing a family, and that is something that every one of us can hold in our hearts with immense pride.”

Robert Rodney, the Anderson Design & Build Ltd Project Manager who oversaw the delivery of the school, said: “We are immensely proud of Lime Wood Primary School and the unique learning environment we have created for future generations growing up in Erith. From our first meetings with the Leader of The London Borough of Bexley, through to Design and then the Build, the focus has been on quality and creating a public building that inspires young people to achieve their very best and provides the staff with great spaces in which to teach. For the whole team involved in this project, it was an incredibly rewarding moment to see the first cohort of pupils walk through the gates. We could not be happier and we wish the Woodland Academy team and pupils the best of luck!”

Vicky Savage, Group Director, Development and Sales, comments: “The opening of Lime Wood Primary School at The Quarry marks a momentous occasion for the development – delivering a state-of-the-art facility not only for residents here, but for the wider community in Erith. Building and supporting thriving and sustainable communities is one of our main goals, and bringing forward key facilities such as Lime Wood Primary and the many essential homes at The Quarry is instrumental to this. The Quarry is a partnership we are immensely proud to be part of, and we look forward to continuing to work together to deliver this flagship development.”

The grand opening ceremony marked the exciting milestone with Councillor Baroness O’Neill OBE attending to officially reveal a commemorative plaque with members from the Trust, plus developers Anderson and partners L&Q. Guests heard from the school’s Headteacher Claire Ingrams and Trust CEO Nav Sanghara and the school’s founding reception pupils captivated guests with a delightful recitation of a poem. Guests also enjoyed a tour of the school’s unique building and impressive state of the art facilities.

L-R: Anderson CEO Andrew Jay, L&Q Group Director of Development and Sales Vicky Savage, Councillor Baroness O’Neill of Bexley OBE, Woodland Academy Trust Director of Education Julie Carson and Woodland Academy Trust CEO Nav Sanghara

Headteacher Claire Ingrams said, “We are thrilled to celebrate the opening of Lime Wood Primary.  The opening was a proud day for everyone at the school and the Trust and we thank our guests for joining us to mark the special occasion. We look forward to becoming an integral part of The Quarry and Erith community as we deliver our vision to find the champion in everyone'.

The occasion also celebrated the unveiling of a grand sculpture in the school’s atrium named ‘We Wrap Our Fish With Love' which was created by local artist Gary Drostle who crafted the iconic De Luci Fish mosaic sculpture located on an Erith roundabout nearby. Sponsored by Anderson and L&Q, Drostle worked with the school to create a baby replica of his iconic sculpture, with a little help from pupils who collected fabrics with meaning or memories from their families to be wrapped around sculpture. Fabrics include a father’s service shirt, Nepali prayer flags, children’s baby grow and baby sock, Hungarian flag, Estonian embroidery, Sari and Chinese silk and much more.

The artist said ‘Working on this project has been an unexpected joy. For me taking the sculptural form of the Erith ‘Fish Roundabout’ and wrapping it in the fabrics brought in by the children brings a whole new dimension to the concept. It feels like the original form is really being embraced and transformed. Many of the fabrics have deep connections to the pupils personal and family histories and seeing them woven together like this I think creates a lovely reflection of the school community, a real vision of hope and celebration of identity.

Headteacher Claire Ingrams added ‘It’s a special memory for our children and families as the founding members of our Lime Wood community.  It will truly take pride of place in our school alongside the creations the children have been working on in school using the same pieces of fabric.

L-R Headteacher Claire Ingrams with the art project sponsors representatives- Anderson CEO Andrew Jay and L&Q Group Director of Development and Sales Vicky Savage. Artist Gary Drostle.

The opening of Lime Wood Primary has been long awaited with parents, many of whom live on the development and have closely followed the school’s progress, delighted to see its doors open at last and to have the chance for their children to become part of the school community.

A parent of a child who attends the school, Mr Yusuff, said “I am really excited to have Lime Wood Primary finally open after waiting for 3 years. The structure and design is really amazing and my daughter is always looking forward to going every day and speaks fondly of her teachers. I have seen a lot of improvement in her since she started, and the school does a lot to engage the parents. Having a local school within The Quarry has helped foster sense of unity and togetherness.”

Our opening also featured in the local News Shopper- you can read the article here: Erith's Lime Wood Primary School welcomes reception pupils

Take a look below at these wonderful photos taken to capture this special celebration. With thanks to photographer Christopher Andreou.