A LONG-AWAITED £14.9 m school was officially opened in Newport yesterday.

Seeing the £14.9 million pound project come to fruition was a proud moment for headteacher Jeff Beecher, as he said they had "waited a long time for the dream to materialise".

The construction of the new school, on the Glebelands, means that pupils who used to attend Rockfield Nursery and the former Durham Road Infants and Junior School have joined together to put the state-of-the-art facilities to good use.

Although the school opened its doors in January, it was made official with the unveiling of the plaque by the Newport Mayor Glyn Jarvis, who was also given a tour around the building by Georgia Southerley and Connor Davies, head girl and head boy.

He said he was very impressed by the new facilities, which were partially funded by the Assembly and built as part of a contract between Newport City Council and Newport School Solutions.

"I think this school will really go on to great things," he said.

However, the journey to get the school up and running has been far from smooth.

Specialist contractors had to carry out remedial work to remove chemicals that were once dumped there, and an action group was set up against the school being re-sited on the land over concerns about the potential health impact of the chemicals.

Council leader, Matthew Evans, said the old school needed to be replaced to meet the needs of education in the 21st century and that the council were committed to providing modern facilities in line with Newport's Children and Young People's Plan.

Pupils had clearly worked hard for the school’s opening, as they donned bright costumes and performed their routines to pop music tracks.

Mr Beecher said his pupils are "extremely talented" and that the new outdoor facilities will help them develop further.

An all-weather pitch, multiuse games area and a pond for nature study are some of the new features, which are a far cry from the old Victorian buildings pupils had to use.

They even had to walk to a canteen in a nearby street and to local churches for school concerts.

"Both staff and pupils are delighted with our new surroundings and we are grateful to the people who planned, designed and built this superb accommodation. The opening is the icing on the cake," Mr Beecher added.