Construction work has begun in early 2012 on a £4.2m project to merge two schools.
Diggers have opened up a large hole along the embankment in John Clark Way, Rushden, to create a new road and parents' car park at Denfield Park Primary School.

It is the first stage of work on the former Denfield Park Junior School site which is in the process of merging with Hayway Infants School and took on the name of Denfield Park Primary School on April 1.

Primary school deputy headteacher Adrian Reast said: "I am as excited as any of the children about this because it's a great opportunity for us to have a school which will cater for children aged from three to eleven. The new access and car park for parents will mean our existing entrance off Victoria Road will only be used by staff in the future which will cut down on vehicle movements in that area and make things better for residents there."

Calls have already been made for the new access road to be named after Denfield's much-loved former headteacher Bob Whitworth, who died at the beginning of the year.

The project will also lead to the creation of a new school hall and new classrooms and the existing classrooms will be refurbished.
The construction work is being carried out by builders J H Hallam and it is hoped all 400 children will be on the site by September 2012.

Mr Reast added: "The work has been going really; really well. This is a live school site and the contractors could not have been better. The work is planned so it will not impact on the children's learning."

Completed Project later in the year

Bob Whitworth Way		Car Park

The official naming of the entrance 'Bob Whitworth Way'