IT HAS been a year in the making but now pupils and staff have celebrated the official opening of a pond at a Basingstoke school.

The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, Councillor Roger Gardiner, officially opened the pond at Kings Furlong Infant School and Nursery, in Upper Chestnut Drive.

Headteacher Libby Wyatt came up with the idea to build a pond last year, and the Parent and Teacher Association embarked on a year-long fundraising mission to raise £3,000 needed for the project last October.

The school has received a lot of support from local businesses with employees from Eli Lilly helping to build the pond, and supplies for the pond being donated by Homebase and B&Q in Basingstoke.

Caretaker Mark Shearman and administration manager Lesley Ward helped to bring the idea to life.

From spring next year, the pond will be used to teach pupils at the school about wildlife, flora and fauna.

Clare Davies, senior administration assistant at the school, told The Gazette: “The children love it and it has been a real community effort for us.

“The children were allowed to visit it during the course of the construction, and they have been able to see the circle of life.

There is quite a big frog population and ducks come and land there. It is also teeming with lots of little fish.”