Wiltshire’s Lord Lieutenant joined school staff and pupils at a Trowbridge primary school to give a royal seal of approval to its new Coronation building.

Sarah Troughton, who represents the King in Wiltshire, was the VIP guest at Holbrook Primary School where she cut a ribbon to officially open the school’s six new permanent classrooms and a multi-use games area.

Wiltshire Times: Wiltshire’s Lord Lieutenant Mrs Sarah Troughton cuts the ribbon to officially open the new Coronation Building at Holbrook Primary School. Photo: Trevor Porter 70146-3Wiltshire’s Lord Lieutenant Mrs Sarah Troughton cuts the ribbon to officially open the new Coronation Building at Holbrook Primary School. Photo: Trevor Porter 70146-3 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Pupils enjoyed ice creams funded by the Parent Teacher Association, and one of the parent governors who is also a member of staff, created a celebration cake identical to the new building to mark the milestone.

Wiltshire Times: Headteacher Vicki Cottrell and pupils take a close look at the specially-made cake identical to the new Coronation Building at Holbrook School. Photo: Trevor Porter70146-1Headteacher Vicki Cottrell and pupils take a close look at the specially-made cake identical to the new Coronation Building at Holbrook School. Photo: Trevor Porter70146-1 (Image: Photo: Trevor Porter 70146-1)
The £2.3 million investment by Wiltshire Council replaces temporary buildings at the Holbrook Lane school and is part of an ongoing program of work to replace old mobile classes with permanent developments.

Pupils at the school were engaged in the project from the start with teams of pupils joining progress meetings and providing their feedback.

Wiltshire Times: Wiltshire’s Lord Lieutenant Mrs Sarah Troughton with school headteacher Vicki Cottrell and pupil Jacob, Scarlett, Amelia and Max who had a say in the design of their new school building. Photo: Trevor Porter 70146-2Wiltshire’s Lord Lieutenant Mrs Sarah Troughton with school headteacher Vicki Cottrell and pupil Jacob, Scarlett, Amelia and Max who had a say in the design of their new school building. Photo: Trevor Porter 70146-2 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Mrs Troughton said: “I was delighted to officially open the new classrooms and play area today. The pupils are clearly enjoying their new surroundings and the whole learning experience will be enhanced with these new facilities. Congratulations to everyone at the school.”

Headteacher Vicki Cottrell said: "We are absolutely thrilled with our new building and the improvements which have been made to our original school building as part of the project. 

“Everyone involved in the project; the local authority, the architects and Rigg Construction have been amazing and really worked alongside us so that the building is bespoke to the needs of our Holbrook pupils. 

“We have the highest aspirations for our pupils and now they finally have the learning environments they deserve. 

“I am very grateful to the children who joined me in some of the planning meetings and helped me make decisions about colour schemes and finishings throughout the process. 

“Holbrook was already a wonderful place to work and to learn, and now it is even better - we are all very lucky indeed."

Wiltshire Times: Wiltshire’s Lord Lieutenant Mrs Sarah Troughton and Cllr Dominic Muns at the official opening of the new Coronation Building at Holbrook Primary School. Photo: Trevor Porter 70146-4Wiltshire’s Lord Lieutenant Mrs Sarah Troughton and Cllr Dominic Muns at the official opening of the new Coronation Building at Holbrook Primary School. Photo: Trevor Porter 70146-4 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Cllr Dominic Muns, Wiltshire Council’s Portfolio for Education, said: “We know it is our hard-working school community who make a positive impact on children’s lives and learning.

“Having these wonderful new surroundings adds to that learning experience and it’s good to hear pupils had a voice in making this happen. I look forward to hearing about the next chapter for this school.”