Pupils Holden out for new social area

CHILDREN want to transform a disused mobile classroom into a common room with space for studying and socialising.

The portable building, split into two parts, already has heating, a kitchen and toilets.

Yet the rooms at Holden Lane Primary School, Sneyd Green, stand empty for most of the week – the larger classroom used occasionally by a music group and the smaller room only for storage.

Students want to put an end to this and start putting the rooms to good use.

They want to kit out the larger of the two rooms as a youth group-style area filled with inflatable furniture, a games consoles, karaoke machine and DJ booth.

The smaller room would be used as a quiet area, where children can work on their homework or create art.

Teacher Susan Mifflin said: "The top classroom isn't used very much and already has toilets and heating, so the children had the idea to do it up as a social area, so they've got somewhere else apart from the yard and the dinner hall.

"Most of the children's social interaction goes on during wet play time. They're all in an enclosed space, but they're all very sociable. When they're outside they just huddle together."

Now the school is entering The Sentinel and Barclays' Class Act competition in the hope of winning one of the £5,000 prizes.

Mrs Mifflin said: "There isn't a great deal in Sneyd Green, so if we could open this up in the evening, it'd be a great opportunity.

"It's a lovely school, but the children just need a few more opportunities."

The children were also enthusiastic about the idea and looking forward to coming in from the cold.

Courtney Fenton, aged 11, from Sneyd Green, said: "Wet play is more fun. In the yard, we're just trying to keep warm. Inside, there's more games."

Charlotte Kirkland, aged nine, from Sneyd Green, said: "People can come together and chill, instead of huddling together with one ball to play with outside.

"We could have a pet like a small hamster and a flat-screen TV or projector."

Amber Gregory, aged nine, from Sneyd Green, said: "Other schools have stuff to play with at lunchtime, but there's not much here.

"We can have inflatable sofas, board games and DVDs.

"We could paint clay models and paint paper and we can use these to decorate the display boards."

Christian Keeling, aged 11, from Sneyd Green, said: "It's going to be dead fun with Xboxes and a TV.

"For one thing, it'll be warmer than outside and at playtime in the morning we're only chatting."