A new high tech, eco-friendly school opened to pupils in Telford last week after after 11 months of work.
The borough’s education bosses have ploughed £10m into the creation of the new Old Park Primary School in Malinslee to allow children to move into the new building from their previous site on Alma Avenue.
It follows the merger of Langley St Leonards and Malinslee primary schools.
Special features of the new building include 19 new classrooms with interactive whiteboards, a sports hall, gym, food technology teaching area and eco-friendly heating and water facilities.
Headteacher Mandie Haywood said: “It has been fantastic to see the new school taking shape in front of our eyes, we have been so excited to get into it.
“The children absolutely love it, some were so excited to get in they got here extra early. The new facilities are really going make a huge difference to both the children and the staff, after all it’s so calm and spacious in here.”
To teach to the children about the school’s eco-facilities, like the biomass boiler which heats the school using wood pellets, each piece of green machinery will be linked to a webcam.
Sophie Birch, 8, who is in year 4 in the school, said: “I think it’s really amazing and awesome, it’s so much bigger and I love all the new computers.”
As well as eco facilities the 5,000 sq ft building has space for a private day nursery as well as new police, health and community facilities.Currently work is going ahead on the outdoor landscaped play areas, sports facilities and ecological garden, which hopes to teach children more about the natural environment.
Green company Miller Construction, who managed the project, worked to minimise their carbon footprint even in the building process, by recycling more than 75 per cent of their waste.
Construction project manager at Miller Construction, Jim Rowley said: “This has been a unique project for all of us. We have really got involved with the school like never before here and we are really looking forward to being able to see them using the new facilities.”
