It was a joyful occasion for the grand opening of Little Stars Nursery at St Gregory’s Catholic Primary School in South Shields with children, their families, staff and governors gathered to watch the ribbon-cutting ceremony by Brendan Tapping, CEO of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, and school headteacher Emma Shaughnessy.


As part of the celebration, pupils provided an uplifting musical performance for their families who were then given a tour of the newly refurbished classroom space that has been repurposed into a vibrant Early Years setting. Pupils and staff also brought in special items including photos and paintings to go into a time capsule for future generations to find.

The school, which is on Harton House Road East, worked with Vest Construction over the summer to complete the 26-space nursery.

Headteacher Emma Shaughnessy said: “The opening of Little Stars Nursery is a proud moment for St Gregory’s and our community.

“A school-based nursery has been a dream for many years and to see it finally become a reality is truly special. The full refurbishment and repurposing of a classroom has made this possible, transforming it into a vibrant Early Years space.

“Little Stars will provide the highest quality early education – a place where children feel safe, loved and ready to flourish. It will build strong foundations for our youngest learners while also supporting families, particularly those with older siblings already at St Gregory’s. Guided by the words of Jesus to let our light shine, our Little Stars will grow in character and confidence, ensuring exceptionality in both education and opportunity.

“We are grateful to the Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, our governors and our dedicated staff for making this vision a reality.”

Brendan Tapping added: “It was a privilege to attend the special ribbon-cutting ceremony at St Gregory’s new Little Stars Nursery. One of my favourite parts of my role is visiting the pupils and seeing the joy in their faces when they proudly showed me around their new learning space was something I wouldn’t have missed for the world.

“At Bishop Chadwick, we want all our children and young people to feel like they belong in our school communities which support them to flourish and thrive and be the best versions of themselves they can be.”

There are only two places left for pupils aged three plus at Little Stars Nursery. For more information, visit www.st-gregorys.co.uk

For more information about BCCET, visit www.bccet.org.uk

 

ENDS

 

Photo captions: BCCET CEO Brendan Tapping and St Gregory’s headteacher Emma Shaughnessy joined pupils and staff at the grand opening of the Little Stars Nursery.

 

Press release issued by SASS media on behalf of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust. For more information, contact Sarah Dale on 07814 976582.