Excitement ‘ballooned’ as our Junior School pupils recently celebrated the opening of their new playground.The town’s mayor and mayoress Cllr David Greenwood and Mrs Marjorie Greenwood released 200 multicoloured balloons to launch the revamped facility, funded by our parents' association, The Friends of Kingsley.

Local designers Lutterworth Landscapes drew on ideas from pupils to enhance the playground with a new netball practice area, a raised border where girls can sit and chat, and a round table for outdoor classroom activities.

Steve Atherton, chairman of The Friends of Kingsley, whose daughter seven-year-old Emilia presented a posy to Mrs Greenwood, said: “We are delighted that the mayor and mayoress were able to honour the school as it begins another exciting new chapter in its 123-year history.