ABOUT 70 people gathered at Malvern Vale Primary School for a special official open day.

The school, the first primary school to be built in Malvern for many years, opened its doors in September 2018.

The school, run by the Mercian Educational Trust, was built by Worcestershire County Council at a cost of £4.3 million.

At the opening, the ribbon was cut by Cllr Marcus Hart, the cabinet member with responsibility for education.

There are currently 15 children in its reception class, and it is looking forward to welcoming many more in September.

Among those attending the opening ceremony were county council employees, councillors, local school heads, parents, children and staff from the educational trust.

Cllr Hart said: “It was a pleasure to be a part of the new school opening. Malvern Vale Primary School is a fantastic facility and I am sure local parents will soon want their children to go there.

"As a satellite to Somers Park Primary, this is quite unique and innovative, and Worcestershire County Council was pleased to support the new build. With houses being built around the Malvern area, this is a much-needed facility.”

Head Christopher Hansen said: "The early success and happiness of our first class of children is already showing the exciting potential of Malvern Vale Primary School.

"Our curriculum is designed to inspire, motivate and challenge the thinking of our learners, providing them with the knowledge, resilience and interpersonal skills to succeed. We look forward to doing this in partnership with other local schools and our community."

Senior teacher Jennie Price said: "I feel truly honoured to have been the first teacher at Malvern Vale Primary School. The 15 children and families have been a pleasure to teach and work with, making the first 100 days smooth running and thoroughly enjoyable."