ALL the fundraising and hard work of staff and pupils at a school in Bicester has paid off as their new playground has now opened.

After holding Christmas fayres, Spring fetes and annual firework displays over the last 18 months, schoolchildren at Finmere Primary School have managed to raise enough money to build a new timber trail playground.

Money was also raised by companies such as Noble Foods and Bovis Homes which the school says without them the project would not have been completed.

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Local company, AT Contracting & Plant Hire Ltd have been especially supportive of the school making a sizeable donation to the project.

Carly Taylor, shareholder from AT Contracting & Plant Hire Ltd joined Caroline Tucker, headteacher of the school, to officially cut the ribbon and declare the playground open for fun earlier this month.

Mrs Tucker said: “Over the past 18 months there has been a real concerted effort by our very dedicated PTA team and the wider community to raise funds and commit to installing a new playground for our pupils by summer 2019.

“It really is such a wonderful achievement to see this come to fruition. So many people have worked so hard for such a long time - the staff, children and I are truly grateful for all the hard work and dedication to our school.”

The contractors of the site were Schoolscapes, a family-run business who design, manufacture and create inspirational outdoor play spaces and learning areas for schools and parks in the UK.

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The headteacher added: "We are a small school and have really supportive, passionate parents who are committed to improving and growing our school.

"The children are loving the new timber trail. They’ve been on it everyday since the opening and it has been rewarding to see our Year 6 leavers enjoying the new playground before leaving to go off to their secondary schools.

"We’re looking forward to September when our existing and new pupils of the new term carry on enjoying this great new facility."