Sizewell C funds new library building at Leiston Primary School

Sizewell C has funded a new library building at Leiston Primary School in Suffolk, the nuclear project said on 10 November, replacing a reading space the school lost when it converted rooms into classrooms.

The school, part of East Anglian Schools Trust (EAST), had expanded its classroom capacity to meet rising demand, according to Sizewell C. That meant existing spaces were repurposed and the former library went.

School leaders then secured funding from Sizewell C for a replacement. Sizewell C said the library forms part of its multi-million-pound support for local education, though it gave no cost figure for the building itself.

Helen Murray, Director of Primary Education at EAST, said: "The new library represents far more than a building; it is an investment in our children's futures and another important step in the school's improvement journey."

The building

The library was officially opened at a ribbon-cutting event, which followed workshops and a visit from local comedian and children's author James Campbell, Sizewell C said.

As well as books and resources, the building includes a kitchen and baby changing facilities. Sizewell C said the aim is to give pupils greater access to books and to provide opportunities for families to share stories and learn together.

Jack Raven, Senior Regional Sustainability Project Manager at Sizewell C, said: "Leiston Primary School is right on our doorstep, and many of the children who will use this library today could be part of Suffolk's future workforce."

Raven said the space is already being used for reading groups and activities for young children.

Amy Plummer, Chair of the Local Governing Body at Leiston Primary School and a parent of two pupils there, said children now had a space to enjoy books in the safety of their school.

The school

Leiston Primary School sits on King George's Avenue, Leiston, and takes pupils aged three to 11, according to the Department for Education's Get Information about Schools register. The register records a capacity of 420 and 383 pupils on roll, with the academy trust listed as EAST ANGLIAN SCHOOLS TRUST LTD.

The school's own website says it was a founding school of Avocet Multi-Academy Trust, set up in November 2014, which joined East Anglian Schools Trust in November 2023.

Sizewell C attributed the school's growth in recent years to the area's expanding population and increasing confidence in the school's improvement journey.

Sizewell C said the school's literacy work also draws on the Leiston Education Partnership and the National Literacy Trust, both supported by Sizewell C community funding, to create a joined-up approach from the early years onwards.

Wider education spending

The Sizewell C Community Fund is a £23m initiative supporting projects across the East Suffolk Council area and is administered by Suffolk Community Foundation, according to Sizewell C's community funding page. The project's legacy page headlines the fund as having reached £4.1m at its two-year point.

Separately, Sizewell C has a £24m funding commitment to enhance facilities and resources in local colleges, higher education and training providers.

In July 2026, East Suffolk Council approved Sizewell C's plans for a permanent post-16 college and apprentice hub in Leiston. The College on the Coast will be a two-storey building facing King George's Avenue, the same road as the primary school, with space for 150 students, 20 full-time staff and drop-in space for 50 apprentices.

Sizewell C said the campus will support many of the 540 apprenticeships it has pledged for Suffolk. With its support, Kingfisher Schools Trust has set up a collaboration between 18 primary and secondary schools in the area.

The 3.2GW nuclear power station is committed to investing £4.4bn in the East of England over the course of its build. In January 2026, two years after formal construction began, Sizewell C said it had almost 2,000 workers on site, including more than 100 apprentices.

Teaching and training at the College on the Coast, delivered with Suffolk New College, is scheduled to begin in 2027.