Railway carriage classrooms inspire pupils

Pupils at an Essex primary school have been "inspired" by having two former railway carriages installed in their playground.

Upshire Primary Foundation School, near Waltham Abbey, bought the carriages – which used to run on the King's Cross to Edinburgh line – in 2021 and have turned them into classroom space with the help of government grants.

One of the carriages opened last year and is used by primary pupils as well as being hired out to the local community, while the second is set to be officially opened this weekend and will be used by pre-school children.

Julie Hockley, the school's business manager, said bringing the second carriage into use was exciting for both pupils and staff.

The carriages – one of which was First Class – were originally owned by Porterbrook, a company that leases them to train operators and then tries to repurpose them when they reach the end of their working lives.

The school originally intended one to become a library, but it was eventually turned into a classroom, using some of the original train seats, and it is also used as a community hub outside school hours including by youth clubs and non-contact boxing groups.

The second carriage has been turned into space for Fledglings Pre-School, which is based at the primary school.

The train seats and tables have been removed and the overhead luggage racks are used to store books and teaching materials.

A sensory room has been created, complete with a ball pool, a colour-changing bubble tube and touch-sensitive technology, while artwork on the outside of the carriage has been designed by former pupils.

Hockley told the BBC the modifications were paid for with the help of two grants totalling more than £220,000 from the Department for Education (DfE) and about £40,000 raised by the pre-school over several years.

"It's really special to have these carriages on site. It's not something that other schools have got," she said.

She added that it was "nice to give something back" to the community which had helped with converting the carriages.

"I think it inspires the children to just get a bit creative and a bit different."

Anna White, pre-school manager at Fledglings, said having the carriages on-site created "a great adventure" for the children.

"Some of them, being quite young, haven't ever been in a train carriage, so it's been really exciting for them," she said.

The second carriage is due to be officially opened on Saturday by Claire Kershaw, director of education at Essex County Council.

A spokesperson for the authority said: "While this project has been funded by the DfE, we warmly welcome the creation of additional early years places at Upshire Primary School.

"High-quality early education plays a vital role in supporting children's development and helping them start reception ready to learn. This innovative space will benefit local families and strengthen the early years offer in the area."

The BBC has contacted the DfE for comment.

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