St Crispin’s Infant School in Westgate has marked the start of the new academic year with the official opening of two exciting new facilities, including Tiny Town, a communication and interaction play provision.
The event showcased significant improvements that have been made at the school since joining The Stour Academy Trust in December 2025.
Over the past nine months, the school has benefited from substantial investment, including the refurbishment and modernisation of classrooms and learning environments, helping to create inspiring spaces for children to learn and thrive.
At the heart of the celebrations, Sir Roger Gale MP cut the ribbon to officially open Tiny Town, an immersive role-play environment designed to support communication, language, social interaction, independence and personal development.
Unlike a traditional classroom, Tiny Town has been carefully designed to replicate real-life environments where children can explore, interact and learn through play. The provision includes a shopping centre, doctor’s surgery, veterinary practice, family home, construction zone and performance stage, allowing children to take on different roles and engage in meaningful experiences with their peers.
Children move between the different areas using specially selected costumes and resources that also help develop fine motor skills and independence, while staff encourage conversation and language development.
The project is the result of a remarkable community effort, with the St Crispin’s Fundraising Committee raising more than £7,000 through a range of fundraising activities. The Stour Academy Trust then matched the amount raised, helping transform an ambitious idea into an exciting new learning environment for pupils.
Speaking at the opening event, Acting Headteacher Vicky Acors thanked both the fundraising committee and the Trust for their support.
She said: “Tiny Town is a very special addition to our school. It has been created to give our children opportunities to develop their communication, language, imagination and social skills through play. It provides a space where children can interact, explore, create and learn together.
“This project would not have been possible without the incredible fundraising efforts of our school fundraising committee, whose commitment, enthusiasm and belief in what this could provide for our children has been remarkable. We are also very grateful to The Stour Academy Trust, whose match funding helped us reach our target and turn the idea of Tiny Town into a reality.”
The celebrations also included the official opening of the school’s newly refurbished library. The library has been refreshed with a wide range of new books and resources, creating an inviting space where children can discover new stories, develop their imagination and build strong reading habits from an early age.
Mrs Acors said: “One of our key focuses this year is developing a real love of reading. We want our children to discover that books can make us laugh, teach us something new, take us to imaginary worlds, introduce us to amazing characters and help us understand the world around us.”
Following the event, Sir Roger Gale MP praised the school’s achievements, saying: “St Crispin’s Infant School Westgate was the first school I ever visited when I became the Member of Parliament for North Thanet in 1983, so it was a particular pleasure to return and formally open both their Tiny Town learning and play area and refurbished library.
“Both have been created as a result of dedicated hard work during the summer holidays. Well done, St Crispin’s.”
Find out more at : www.st-crispins.kent.sch.uk
