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Haverhill's MP visited a primary school in the town on Friday to hear from the new head teacher about plans to build a replacement school on a nearby site.

Richard Spring MP is a long-time admirer of Clements Primary School and dropped in to see the new head, Lesley Farrow, who took over in September.

The 144-pupil school will grow to around 210 pupils under school re-organisation and, as it sits on a constrained site within the Clements estate, a new, larger school is to be built to replace it on the edge of the estate.

The new school is scheduled for completion in 2011 and will take pupils aged from five to 11, as the town reverts to two-tier education.

Mrs Farrow said Mr Spring was keen to hear about plans for the move. "He talked with some affection about the school and the area," said Mrs Farrow.

Contractors are due on the new site, which is a five-munite walk from the current school, in February and, although much of the planning had been done before Mrs Farrow took over she is having a lot of input into details of the design.

"I have been looking at the grounds and access as well," she said. "The land around the school at present is sloping so the children are really looking forward to having a flat pitch to play on."

Mrs Farrow began her teaching career at Parkway Middle School in Haverhill and mnost recently was head teacher at All Saints Middle in Sudbury.

She said she was learning a lot about early years education in her new post, but also at home as she has two children aged six and two.

Before his visit Mr Spring said: "I have always enjoyed visiting Clements Primary School, whose teachers provide an excellent foundation for the next stage in their pupils' education."

Later in the morning on Friday he visited the St Nicholas Hospice shop in Haverhill high street and presented a cheque for £75 to manager Peter Dawkins, money he received for taking part in Parliamentary surveys, and which he likes to donate to good causes in his constituency.

* Our picture shows Mr Spring and Mrs Farrow outside the school.