Woodend School will get four new classrooms in term two, with another four planned for later in the year.
The school has experienced rapid growth for several years on the back of the booming Ravenswood sub-division, with the school roll set to pass 600.
The Ministry of Education has been working with the school’s board of trustees to plan for the new classrooms.
Principal Andrew Retallick said the school is ‘‘really excited’’, even if there is some short term disruption.
The school’s ageing junior playground was dismantled and removed during the school holidays to make way for a new junior classroom block, with the new classrooms being built offsite.
‘‘In the short term it’s going to be a little bit messy. We will be having breaks at different times for the seniors and juniors, so the juniors can use the senior playground,’’ Mr Retallick said.
‘‘We have been working out with staff what that looks like.’’
The old junior playground was built in the 1990s, so it was due to be replaced, he said.
‘‘We’ve had lots of comments already. There’s a lot of fond memories in our community and it’s brought out some nostalgic memories.
‘‘The hardest part was where do we put the classrooms. It was either lose the old playground or take out the grass.’’
The school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA) has raised $80,000 to pay for landscaping and a new junior playground, with plans for ‘a more natural pay area’.
‘‘It will be a little bit messy for a while, but at the end of it we will have great junior area,’’ Mr Retallick said.
The consenting process is under way for a new four classroom senior block, which the school hopes to open later in the year.
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
