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A ground-breaking ceremony has heralded the start of the building of our brand new primary school for Stansted Mountfitchet village.

Pupils, parents, staff and dignitaries gathered at the site of the new Magna Carta Primary Academy to celebrate the start of construction.

The doors of the school opened a year ago and welcomed just one class of reception children. Those numbers doubled this month as a second class of pupils joined.

Work is now under way on a purpose-built school building which is due to open in September 2018, initially as an infant school with three year groups.

Amy Dias, head of school, and her team have spent the first year getting the school established and building relationships with families and the community.

She said: “Our families have put their trust in us that we will deliver and we are extremely grateful for that understanding. These children and their families are able to have an input into how the school looks; we can listen to what they want and to a certain extent take on board what they want as we are starting from scratch.

“We have established an open and friendly school and we intend for that to continue as we grow.”

Mrs Dias, who has been heavily involved in designing the new school, said: “It has been really good to be able to outline exactly how we want our school to look; to put our own stamp on things and make it our home. It’s a really exciting time for the children, too, who are getting to watch their new school take shape before their eyes.

“It will be great to move into our permanent building and really develop our ethos and values and grow even more than we have done so far.”

The school was opened last year by the Burnt Mill Academy Trust (BMAT) and operates in close partnership with Forest Hall School, in Stansted Mountfitchet, with PE, music and languages from the secondary school teaching reception and Year 1 children.

Louise Dowding, mum of Daisy in Year 1, said: “We love this school! The children are really happy and there’s a real sense of family and community here. It was totally the right decision to send my daughter here.”

Fran Richards, Stansted Parish Council vice chairman, and Councillor John Aldridge and Councillor Ray Gooding from Essex County Council were on hand to break the first ground for the new school.

Mrs Richards, whose granddaughter Ava is in Year 1, said: “She absolutely loves it here and is thriving. She loves music and the arts so to have specialist subject teachers coming in from Forest Hall has been very, very positive.”

Stephen Hehir, executive head of both schools within BMAT’s North Essex Hub, said: “Magna Carta provides exceptional education for its students and the fact the new school building work is well under way is great news for the future.”

Helena Mills, BMAT CEO, said: “I am really happy with the high standards the pupils have achieved in their first year at Magna Carta as a result of great teaching.”