A SCHOOL today (Friday, March 6) celebrated the beginning of work on a long-awaited new building with a turf-cutting ceremony.

Hetton School in Hetton-le-Hole was one of 261 schools announced by the Government in May 2012 as being in need of a re-build.

The school had been part of the Labour government’s school buildings scheme, Building Schools for the Future, which was halted by the incoming Tory administration.

The new premises are now being built under the Government’s flagship Priority School Building programme, and is due to open in September 2016.

The turf cutting ceremony was attended by Houghton and Sunderland South MP Bridget Phillipson, who has fought hard to get a new building, along with James Stuart-Mills from the Education Funding Agency, Galliford Try project manager Darren Thompson, chair of governors Cllr Tony Wilkinson and headteacher Phil Keay.

Mr Keay said: “This has been a long time coming.

“Obviously we were delighted to be one of the original schools announced back in May 2012.

“We are nearly three years on from this announcement and work is finally due to begin.

“We have a large site which means disruption can be kept to a minimum - it is business as usual. The staff and students are very excited to watch the development and September 2016 can’t come soon enough.

“Hetton School is already rated as good by Ofsted, the new build will help us, in our drive for outstanding achievement for all.”

Ms Phillipson said: “I am glad that working together we were able to persuade the Secretary of State that the rebuilding was necessary to give people the best start in life.

“Following a meeting I had with the minister for schools Hetton School was able to be at the forefront for the development schedule for the new schools.

“It’s not quite the same scheme that would have gone ahead under Building Schools for the Future, but I am confident it will offer a much better learning environment for the young people here – to be able to build on the success of the school.”

Mr Stuart-Mills said: “I am really grateful to the school for working so hard with us for a long time to specify the new building and delighted work is now starting on site.

The new school will accommodate up to 900 pupils.