A new accessible library has been officially opened at Redgate Primary Academy.

The Mansfield-based academy, part of Diverse Academies, caters for children with special needs.

It successfully applied for a grant of £3,000 from the Foyle Foundation to be used specifically for the project.

The funding allowed for a complete renovation of a former classroom and a complete refresh of the library stock.

Two-thirds of the funding was used to ensure there are books suitable for children of all abilities at the academy, including fiction and non-fiction, pop-up, touch and sound, scratch and sniff, write and wipe-clean, and a number of picture-only books.

Furniture within the library has also been updated to make the space a more comfortable environment for reading, learning and relaxing, with an IT suite of equipment available to enable interactive learning experiences.

Diverse Academies’ chief executive Chris Pickering — pictured with Rocky, Callum and Mikey — joined pupils and academy senior principal Pauline Corfield to declare the library open.

Pauline said: “The learning space has been completed transformed and is now a vibrant hub of accessible literacy at the heart of the academy.

“Pupils are able to go into the library as part of their lessons, in their own free time to sit and read, or can take books away to be read at home. It enhances our literacy offer for pupils, and I’m so pleased to launch this.”

Jess Whitehouse, literacy co-ordinator at Redgate, added: “It has been a really enjoyable project to deliver, and the pupils have responded positively.

“Last year we developed a reading spine, which informed the books we chose to update and purchase, ensuring we have at least one of each book and multiples of key texts.

“We have developed reading sets so that pupils have easy access to appropriate books to develop their learning.”

To support the literacy curriculum, the academy is developing story sacks to stimulate interactive learning experiences that develop language and creativity skills, alongside creating curriculum resources to support teaching staff to support pupils’ development.