STUDENTS often claim they need a caffeine hit to stimulate their grey matter, so sixth formers at one Newport school now have no excuse for dozing off in class.

For Bassaleg Comprehensive School yesterday launched its new coffee shop, Hoffi Coffi, meaning Like Coffee, for Year 12 and 13 pupils and teachers.

Selling a range of hot drinks, pastries and snacks, the caf can seat 35 customers, with leather sofas and a sound system. It opens 10am to 3pm and is run by existing school kitchen staff.

Head teacher Dr Ian Garrero said the idea came from pupils and staff and offers an alternative to the sixth form common room and main canteen. "This is an excellent facility for the young people and the purpose was to give them a more relaxed environment," he said.

Work on the main kitchen and converting a disused classroom to the Friends-style coffee lounge took two weeks and was funded by a £35,000 grant from Newport Catering, an arm of the local education authority.

Any profit is ploughed into other similar ventures via Newport Catering. Head girl Naomi Denham, 17, said: "This is nice and airy and it's good for us to have somewhere else to socialise."

Newport Catering held a competition to name the coffee shop, but 17-year-old student Peter Withey's suggestion came tops in a panel of staff and pupils, and he won a £50 book token.