THE SCHOOL

Acresfield School is situated on the outskirts of Upton by Chester in the semi-rural area known as Upton Heath.  It is set in extensive grounds with views of surrounding farmland to the south.  In addition to a large hard play area, there is a secure play area for reception infants, a bark play area and playing fields.

A school grounds development programme was started at the beginning of 1994 with the planting of over three hundred shrubs and trees by the children. This was followed by further plantings of 275 shrubs and trees in early March, 1995 and over a hundred small trees in December, 1996. Fifty trees were planted by the Reception and Key Stage 1 children in November 2001.

During a weekend in early November, 1995, the parents of children transformed the grounds by constructing a soft play area, digging out a pond and building a fence around it.  They also landscaped the area with mounds which is beginning to provide a shaded area as plants mature. The process of grounds development has continued with the provision of a range of seating and play facilities in 2000 and 2001.

Acresfield School was originally built as
an infant school, opening in 1959. 
It was extended in 1975 and its
designation changed to that of a
primary school. The school building is
light, airy and welcoming.  There are
three traditional classrooms and two
mobile classrooms,  with a reference
library housed in the junior corridor. 
In addition, there is an entrance area
leading to the early years' infant 
open plan area with two home bays,
and, a well equipped practical bay
which is used by all age groups.  A
mobile classroom installed in October
1995 provides accommodation for the
older infants whilst a second mobile,
which became ready for use in January 1997, is a further Key Stage 1 classroom. A building programme, begun in early 2000 has provided a light, airy classroom together with a study/computer area, cloakroom, PE store and caretaker's room.

There is a large, attractive hall which is well equipped with apparatus for physical
education.  The hall is also used as the dining area.  School lunches are cooked
on the premises and are extremely popular.

At present there are 140 children in the school, organised into five teaching groups, although the children are taught in their individual year groups each morning (school year 2001- 2002)



UPTON HEATH


Upton Heath is situated approximately three miles from the centre of the historic city of Chester.  It is part of the area known as Upton by Chester which was so called because, until the reorganisation of local boundaries, in 1974, it was outside the city precincts.  Upton Heath, although part of Upton by Chester, is effectively cut off from the rest of Upton by the busy A41 which runs along its southern boundary.

As its name suggests Upton Heath was originally an area of heathland.  The flat, rural landscape is now farmland which is mainly under pasture.  It is an area of diverse wildlife with a variety of dragonflies and damselflies inhabiting the locality.  Hares are also to be seen, as is a varied bird population.  Upton Heath's main claim to fame is that the internationally renowned North of England Zoological Society, otherwise known as Chester Zoo, is to be found here.  The zoo is a wonderful educational resource for many areas of the curriculum, as is the surrounding countryside with its wealth of hedgerows, ponds and wildlife.











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