STAFF and pupils at Aldermaston Church of England Primary School are celebrating the completion of a £600,000 building project.

The school has been extended with a seventh classroom, extended staff room, extended classroom and corridor and a new kitchen. The official opening and blessing, on February 8, was performed by The Bishop of Reading, The Right Reverend Andrew Proud, in a service led by The Rev Becky Bevan, from St Mary’s Church, Aldermaston.

Also in attendance were Richard Benyon, MP for Newbury, representatives from Aldermaston Parish Council and West Berkshire Council, and from Bolt and Heeks, the construction company for the project. They were joined at the school by members of the community, including parents, governors and pupils.

These new facilities mean the school, which has 169 pupils aged between four and 11, can now to provide a classroom for each year group. The previous kitchen’s serving capacity was nominally 25 but regularly provided meals for over 80 children.

Rhodri Bowen, headteacher at the school, said: “We’ve been really pleased with our new buildings, which are already being well used and enjoyed by our children.”

He said: “This official opening is not about the buildings; it’s a celebration of what the school stands for.”

The project was funded by money required from AWE for development and through a contribution from the school’s capital budget.