STUDENTS got to see more than a million pounds worth of engineering equipment when they were taken on their first tour inside a new industry-friendly school.

The teenagers, who are due to attend the Discovery School, in Newcastle, when it opens for the first time in September, were shown around the new £9m campus, which will house the latest industry equipment and technology.

They and their parents were able to wander through the workshops and learning bases where they will study for GCSEs and A-Levels in a state-of-the-art environment, where the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects will be at the heart of the curriculum.

Discovery School, which is based on Blandford Street will prepare people aged between 14 and 19 from Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and County Durham for highly-skilled jobs in the engineering, manufacturing and science industries.

The school has been designed as a learning tool, with pipe work, utilities and electrical fittings exposed, so students can actually see how the building operates and can use it as part of their lessons.

All areas are multi-functional, so workshops can be transformed intoclassrooms, and even the lighting system is ahead of its time – with lights getting brighter the further away from the windows they are.

Student Charlotte Hurley, 14, from Felling, wants to be a marine biologist when she’s older.

She said getting a look inside the school and seeing its facilities made her realise just how much it had to offer.

Valerie Ender, from Gateshead, has two sons, Ewan and Harrison Spry, age 15 and 14, who will be attending the school.

She said: “Discovery School is a huge deal to me. The equipment and building are just staggering – the school will have everything they need. It’s just wonderful to see my sons excited about school for the first time in years.”

The school is working with a number of companies from across the North East to ensure the curriculum is relevant and project-based.