Pupils set to use old train carriage as classroom
Students will be welcomed aboard a new classroom that used to be a train carriage in a former life.
The decommissioned carriage was moved to a playground at Upshire Primary Foundation School in Waltham Abbey, Essex, and was being renovated.
Pupils were given a sneak peek at the revamp of the first-class section ahead of its official opening at the end of July.
Head teacher Ross Jones, 44, said it was originally going to be turned into a library but was instead transformed into a classroom that could also be used as a community hub around lessons.
The train carriage was donated to the school just before the pandemic and has undergone extensive renovation.
Some chairs were ripped out to make it an open learning space, and a kitchen and toilet were also added.
Mr Jones said pupils were accustomed to learning outside, and he hoped to also turn the carriage into a quiet area for students during breaks.
He said students and staff are "absolutely desperate to get on there" and added: "It's taken quite a long time and a lot of dedicated hard work.
"It just looks amazing. One of the things for me was that it needs to still look like a train."
A student from the school, Amy said: "It's really nice to have somewhere to learn in because it's a nice open space.
George said: "I feel very thankful to the people who did this.
"I really like this train, and I think it was a good choice to get it.
Olly said: "I think it is really good because it is really different to our normal classrooms."
The headteacher said he would not be able to give the exact amount the work cost, but he said the figure was around tens of thousands of pounds.
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Train carriage classroom marks 300th anniversary
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