A LONG-awaited new school hall and extension at North Tawton Primary School was unveiled last week. The improvements, with a total cost of around £650,000, constitute a new hall enabling indoor PE for the school?s 150 children, a new kitchen, new facilities for disabled access, and office accommodation for the school?s head and administrator. Headteacher Nick D?Agorne said the children were already benefiting from the new hall: ?It means we can finally do PE as a whole school ? previously half the class had to sit down because there was not room for a whole class in the hall. ?All the children coming to school enjoy PE now because no-one is left out. ?We anticipate it is going to be an asset to the community as well as the school, and we want to increasingly involve members of the community.? Mr D?Agorne said the new hall could be used for activities such as badminton, and he had already spoken to two organisations interested in making use of the facility. The official opening was carried out by vice-chair of Devon County Council Cllr Nolan Clarke, and Carol Hughes, widow of former Poet Laureate Ted Hughes. Children from the school performed poetry and put on a display reflecting their work on literacy to mark the opening last Thursday. Mr D?Agorne said he was delighted Carol Hughes was able to come and open the new hall. ?We want the hall to be dedicated to Ted Hughes ? his links with the school and our focus on literacy make a good combination. We feel the children should be able to gain from his poetry and his presence in the town.? The school had been working towards replacing the old hall and kitchen for more than 20 years. The school itself raised a financial contribution of £47,000 towards the project, which helped secure a Devon County Council grant for the remainder of the funds.
