The headteacher of a junior school in Stevenage has launched a fundraising appeal to help pay to resurface a multi-use games area (MUGA). 

Louise Whitby, headteacher at Giles Junior School, has set up a Go Fund Me page, in the hope of raising £40,000 to replace the school's deteriorating MUGA.

She explained: "I have been the headteacher at Giles Junior School since 2019 and have seen a large cut in funding to our school.

"While this is a national problem, our school has been hit especially hard due to having a large proportion of SEND pupils.

"We are proud to have built an inclusive school, with passionate staff and brilliant pupils.

"Due to our fast-growing reputation, we attract many pupils with complex needs to attend our school.

"Giving pupils what they need has been our priority, and that does come at a cost. Therefore, we have to prioritise what we can do with limited funds."

The school had a MUGA built in 2015, as part of an expansion from two-form-entry to three-form-entry, but this now needs to be replaced. 

Miss Whitby said: "The pitch is now beginning to deteriorate, and while we have tried to access funding to have the pitch resurfaced, we have not been successful as yet.

"We are at the stage of the pitch now needing repairs frequently, and know it will not be long before the pitch is not safe to use, which is why we think we need to look into having the surface replaced, so we can get another 10-plus years of use out of it, for us and our local grassroots clubs who hire the facilities out."