Vicky Ford MP attended the time capsule ceremony at the school on Friday 24th February. She said: “It was lovely to join the children from Trinity Road Primary School burying their time capsules. They should be extremely proud of what is happening in their school. The expansion of Trinity Road Primary will bring huge benefits to children all across this part of Chelmsford, but also to others across the city as it is so important that we have enough school places for all of our children.”
Vicky Ford added: “I hope that today’s Trinity Road pupils will be able to come back to the school in future years, perhaps with their own children, and remember the happy memories that they have placed in this capsule.”
The headteacher said: “This is the biggest structural change to our school in over 65 years. The school was opened in 1910 and we’re so excited to be able to expand our school community and share our school with more families from September 2023.”
Cllr Marie Goldman, the Deputy Leader of Chelmsford City Council said she’s very proud of the funding and support Chelmsford City Council contributed to this school expansion, adding: “This is such an important project to provide for the education of children in Chelmsford.” The project includes a new building with extra classrooms, all built to a Carbon Net Zero standard, as well as an outdoor all-weather multi-use sports area, a partial internal remodelling and planting of trees and bulbs.
The Chair of Governors for Trinity Road Primary School, Mrs Claire Styles, expressed thanks to the funding councils, contractors, staff, families and neighbours for the support they’ve shown this project. Claire said: “My children are pupils at this school. My children’s great-grandfather was a pupil at this school. This school holds a special place in the hearts of all those generations of pupils who passed through its classrooms.”
“Many more generations of Trinity pupils will receive high quality education here in the safety and comfort of these walls, thanks to the investment into its future we’re commemorating here today.”
“Surrounded now by resilient, compassionate young people who love to learn, each one of us is connected with this school community for as long as this time capsule remains in the ground.”
The school is a local authority maintained primary school. Essex County Council commissioned the demolition of the old 1950’s built HORSA building (kitchen and cantine) to be replaced with a new building that will allow the school to expand from 1.5-form entry to a two-form entry school. Today the school has 315 pupils, all of whom included something to, and signed, the time capsule before it was buried in the foundations of the new building. When the building is completed, there will be a plaque the mark the location of the time capsule for years to come.
Cllr Jill Reeves took part in the time capsule ceremony on behalf of Cllr Tony Ball, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education Excellence and Skills. Cllr Reeves shared: “What a wonderful gesture to include all the children in the school in the ceremony.” The Head Boys and girls, Ffion, Ishan, Jessica and Thomas, had the honour of laying the time capsules down, in front of all their schoolmates and teachers, who watched the ceremony from just outside the construction site perimeter.
The construction project, which is due to be completed by December 2023 by the appointed contractors Morgan Sindall, will enable the school to ultimately educate 420 children on the premises.
