THE Bishop of Winchester visited St Swithun’s Junior School near Winchester to open officially the school’s new building and state-of-the-art facilities.

The Right Reverend Tim Dakin presided over a dedication service at the school which marked the completion of the final phase of the new building’s development.

During the visit, the bishop met teachers and pupils and dedicated the new school building before he was shown around the new facilities by headteacher Pim Grimes and some of the school’s pupils.

The cutting-edge new facilities offer specialist classrooms allowing smaller class sizes, a library, a science laboratory, an art studio, a media and computing room, a new performing arts space and a gym.

Students told the bishop how the school day had been improved by the new building, which is much more open and easier to navigate than the labyrinthine complex of buildings which previously housed the junior school.

The dedication service took place in the new performing arts centre, with children giving readings and three of the school’s musicians performing instrumentals. It was attended by students, teachers and parents, as well as the mayor of Winchester and the architect and builders who constructed the new building.

New specialised teaching rooms in the building offer students more focussed teaching by providing space for smaller class sizes, while the extra capacity also allows the school to expand to two-form entry in every year group.

The new school replaces the former buildings which were opened in 1931.