A HEADTEACHER has spoken of her joy at a £5m investment programme that could see students move into a brand-new school building, with construction set for 2021.

Nicola Hill, headteacher at Hetton Primary School, believes the "stunning new building", proposed to replace its tired premises on Moorsley Road, will have a transformational impact on the lives of young people from the area.

Plans released by Sunderland City Council will see the current school building demolished and a two-storey facility – which is proposed to include nursery provision – open to replace it on a new site.

Mrs Hill, who has been at the helm of the school since 2017, believes that the new space will allow teachers to deliver an even higher standard of support to students.

She first heard of the plans last year, but with proposals now advancing and detailed drawings of the facility being finalised, the proud headteacher is looking forward to a brighter future for children in Hetton.

Mrs Hill said: “It was actually really overwhelming, hearing that we would have that level of investment poured into our school.

“Our teachers do a really good job. The school has such strong links to the local community and to parents too. And our children are just amazing. They totally deserve this.”

As well as providing stunning outdoor spaces, including a ‘forest school’ and junior size football pitch, the building will provide a full range of indoor spaces, including sensory rooms, cooking kitchens and enhanced facilities for children with special educational needs.

She added: “We’re very much restricted in our current building.

“We are creative in using the space we have in our current building, but at times it stops us from being able to do everything we want to do. This new building, with all its rooms and custom-built spaces, will just be incredible.

“There’s space for everything in the new building plans. Space for everybody to flourish and be the best they can be. It’s hard to put into words the benefit this will bring for our children.”

The building - which will see the council spend £5m of its own resources to create – is large enough to cater for 210 students, aged from two to 12.

Mrs Hill said she is also excited to be able to provide an all-through education, with a nursery built in, which will allow children to start there from as young as two years old and progress all the way through their primary education.

She added: “Parents with children of different ages will be making one drop off, and we’ll be able to get them settled into school life, and make the transition as smooth as possible for them. We couldn’t be more thrilled about the plans. As teachers, you see your school family more than you see your own."