'Excitement has been running high' for students using new sports facilities
Friday, 4 April 2025
A headteacher has spoken of the “excitement” around her school after students began using its brand-new sporting facilities.
These are the latest addition as part of our wider investment in Biggleswade’s educational infrastructure, supporting the transition from a three-tier to a two-tier system.
This term, Edward Peake CofE School has begun to use its new Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA), which has been ensuring that it can provide high-quality physical education and outdoor sporting opportunities, after its change from a middle to a secondary school in September 2024.
A new sports hall is also under construction and remains on schedule for completion in the autumn. Once finished, it will provide cutting-edge indoor sports facilities, including space for badminton, basketball, cricket nets, dance, aerobics, and yoga, ensuring a comprehensive physical education experience for all students.
But after the MUGA was opened, headteacher Zoe Linington said:
Excitement has been running high at Edward Peake as students and staff had been eagerly anticipating this moment, finally getting to make full use of the brand-new Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA). The new facility has already hosted several PE lessons, clubs, and competitive matches, proving to be a fantastic addition to the school’s sports program.
Football matches have been in full swing, with visiting schools praising the high-quality playing surface. The impact has been immediate, with Edward Peake already celebrating early victories on home turf.
Looking ahead, the school has a packed calendar of fixtures, with a variety of sports set to be played on the new surface. Students are eager to test their abilities against other schools, and with so many matches lined up, the excitement continues to build.
The MUGA is set to become a hub of sporting activity, giving students even more opportunities to compete, develop their skills, and showcase their talent.
The MUGA, which features a full-size football pitch with floodlighting, offers a modern, all-weather space for a variety of sports and activities and Executive Member for Children's Services at Central Bedfordshire Council, Councillor Steve Owen welcomed the progress, saying:
This is an exciting step forward in our commitment to enhancing education and extracurricular opportunities in Biggleswade. The MUGA has already begun providing a first-class environment for physical education and school sports, and we are pleased to see the vision for Edward Peake CofE School taking shape.
The next phase of work will begin this Easter, which will see the existing sports hall remodelled to create six classrooms for improved art and design-technology provision, plus a computer suite. Also, later in the year, internal remodelling will create an enlarged English classroom and a smaller hall, that is larger than the existing one, which will be multi-use so that pupils can use it for breakout groups, lunch, studying, presentation space and smaller assemblies.
Councillor Owen added:
These improvements will enhance Edward Peake’s academic offer and help foster a well-rounded education, while further enriching the student experience and ensure they have access to top-tier facilities for both academic and personal development.