The Archbishop of Liverpool, The Most Reverend Malcolm McMahon OP, has blessed a brand-new nursery building at St Mary Magdalen’s Catholic Primary School in Preston.

 

Archbishop McMahon was welcomed with a rousing rendition of the school’s adopted hymn ‘All are Welcome’ which sews the seeds for the local community who are all very welcome at the school.

 

The brand-new bespoke building, Mighty Minis, has been 18 months in planning and will be open to 15 children daily from 3 years and over. School leaders and governors secured funding, with the Archdiocese of Liverpool committing £160,000 towards the new building.

 

Father Ian McParland and the parishioners of St Mary Magdalen’s generously donated a car park at the back of the church building, adjacent to the school, while the project was in development.

 

Mrs Bradley, EYFS lead, commented: “The idea of the nursery was to cement relationships with our parents from a very early age and to provide our youngest children with an environment befitting their development.”

 

Mrs McKinnon, headteacher at St Mary Magdalen’s Catholic Primary School, explained that the commitment from the Archdiocese of Liverpool was not the only windfall that the school had received recently. £25,000 was donated from the Environment Agency to redevelop the playground thanks to the flood defence work on the River Ribble.

 

Mrs McKinnon said: “We are thrilled at the commitment to redevelop parts of our school – with a new nursery building and a brand-new playground which the children helped design, our school is really going places.

 

“The blessing of our nursery was a really special day for our school, and I have no doubt it will live on in both our children’s and staff’s memories for a very long time.”

 

The school also welcomed David Shaw, Mayor of Penwortham; Father Ian McParland, parish priest of St Teresa’s & St Mary Magdalen’s, Penwortham; Mrs A Cooper, headteacher at All Hallows Catholic High School, Penwortham; Mr and Mrs Jones, SVP at St Mary Magdalen; and governors of the school.