At the start of the year, the children of Firthmoor Primary School, in Darlington, left their old building for a £2m newly built one across the road.

The new building, commissioned by Darlington Borough Council, has some of the latest educational technology, including interactive smart boards in the classrooms.

To help celebrate the event, the local Firthmoor Partnership gave £3000, which when taken with a donation from the school, meant every one of the 281 children, from nursery to year six, had a new uniform. To commemorate the event, The Northern Echo asked the children to record their Diary of a Move, from the days before they left the old building to the weeks spent settling into the new one.

Leaving the

old school

I am sad because I like this school. This school is old because it has been around 37 years. The infant school had been around 39 years and the infants will be sad, like we are.

Sarah Turner

Year six

Old school is empty,

New school is full.

Very sad to leave our school lonely,

Good to make a fresh start in a new school.

Changing Firthmoor is very good indeed.

We don't have a door that gives a draught, to make us freeze.

Leaving a school we love, we know our way around,

We've got a new school, that is very safe and sound.

Toilets are big, toilets are small,

We don't know where to start at all.

Library is the quiet corner, for us to read.

We need lots and lots of books to learn to read.

When it rained, doors leaked,

Now it rains we stay nice and dry.

Water fountain in the toilet

Water fountain in the class.

Rachel Bester

Year four

Old school memories

Arrgh, old memories, I remember that time when we had no carpet in our classroom and we had to sit on the cold floor and we had to get our bums cold. Ha ha. That was really funny.

And do you remember the time where there was bees everywhere and we couldn't go through the corridor to see Mrs Robson and Mrs Levett? My, that was really dangerous.

Do you remember when the mayor came about the puppets and they gave Mrs Cabourn an award and she was so happy?

Remember the time when the doors leaked when it rained? And we weren't allowed to sit on the floor there? I hated that memory.

Daniel Reay

Year four

Old school in the dark

Cold as a freezer.

Old school in the dark

I wish it hadn't happened

Old school cold as ice-cream.

Nobody inside.

Nobody teaching or working there.

Old school in the dark.

New school, bright as a feather.

Built together.

New school in bright and sunny weather.

New school just getting built.

Hear the mixer going round and round.

So the builders get a pound.

New and good as the sunshine.

Watch the rainbow.

Count the colourful lines.

Brogun Marchant,

Year four

First impressions

My first impression was 'Wow'.

I was amazed, shocked at its size.

It was massive and grand, too, like a palace.

It was really clean and clinical.

It kind of reminded me of a hospital.

My teacher Mrs Levett has a favourite colour that just happens to be the colour of KS2's chairs - purple.

The school is excellent and is, no doubt, the best school in the history of Darlington.

The library was so cute, very attractive.

All around us were books, hundreds of them. I was in my element as I love reading.

The toilets are an enormous improvement. They are not smelly, grubby or old. They are clean, attractive and very hygienic.

There is also a lot of space to do more activities such as the following ideas Class ten, my class, had:

l After school activities.

l French class.

l Musical/theatrical classes.

l Drama/dance classes.

l Football coaching.

l Cooking class.

l Rugby lessons.

l Art class.

The studio, I particularly like. It's not just a place for music, it's also a room to have fun if you have any spare time.

Simone Muirhead

Year six

Four weeks

after the move

These are the things we like:

l I like the smart boards.

l I like the tuck shop.

l I like the studio.

l I like the playground.

We need to improve:

l We need to get more equipment.

l We need our field to grow.

I think we should have a Jungle Jim.

We need proper goals for the football pitch.

Alisha Nelson

Year six

What I like in my new school:

I like the new school dinners.

I like the classroom because it has a smart board.

I like the water fountain because it is really good.

Thomas Nicholson

Year two