KEARSLEY Academy will open the gates to its new multi-million building today.

Boxes have been unpacked and staff worked through their Easter holidays putting the finishing touches to classrooms to ensure the £12 million state-of-the art campus was ready for their pupils.

Vice-principal Suzanne Pountain said: “This building has the wow factor.

“The quality of teaching has already been recognised as outstanding, and now we have a building which is fit for learning in the 21st century.”

The new building marks the final part of the journey in transforming the now closed George Tomlinson School into an academy.

George Tomlinson School closed and Kearsley Academy opened in September 2010 to drive up standards, which have increased dramatically in recent years.

A sixth form opened on the site soon after.

But the future of the new building hung in the balance when the Government plugged the plug on the Building Schools for the Future scheme in the summer of 2010.

It was given the go-ahead just weeks later and work got under way in December 2011 and the “key” to the new building — inspired by the ideas of staff and pupils — was formally handed over to the school this week.

Headteacher Nigel Jepson said: “On top of all the success Kearsley Academy has enjoyed since opening in 2010, our wonderful new building undoubtedly provides all our students and staff with state-of-the-art facilities to enable even greater progress to be made across all subjects and aspects of school life. We cannot wait for students and parents to visit the site and see it for themselves.”

The school hall has been swapped for a purpose-built performing arts department, which includes a recording studio, while an industry standard technology room replaces the old-fashioned woodwork suites, where pupils can design and manufacture in one area.

Science labs suited to all three disciplines means more space for children to learn and take part in more practical work.

Throughout the school there are break-out spaces for pupils to work independently or in groups Outside the young people have the use of a multi-games area to use during breaks.