Excited pupils started a new chapter at Castle Mead Primary School on Wednesday as they arrived for their first day at the new school in Trowbridge.

Building work at the school, which has initially opened with 90 pupils in four mixed-age classes, was completed in May, with The Mead Academy Trust taking it over in June.

Mi-space, a division of The Midas Group, created the £2.5million school on the Castle Mead housing development next to Paxcroft Mead, after the trust was successful in its tender to run a new school in July last year.

The school will have its own identity and be inspected separately, but will fall under the umbrella of the trust, which also runs The Mead Community Primary School and Wingfield Primary School.

Headteacher Tracy Boulton said: “It has been a long time coming and the staff have worked incredibly hard to make it a great space for the children.

“I spoke to the children about the school being built and the journey to get to this point.

I said that it is now down to us to write the next chapter in our story together.

“The staff were in over the summer and gave up some of their holiday time as they were very keen to make sure everything was right for the children.

“It’s a beautiful building and the library is my favourite part of the school as it is a lovely open area. We have cosy corners for the children so they are comfortable when they are reading.”

As part of the Castle Mead development, the builders put in an environmental buffer to protect rare Bechstein bats found in Green Lane Woods, which resulted in the school choosing a bat for its logo.

The school will provide up to 210 pupil places, but has been designed to allow for possible extension to allow for 420 school places and a 26-place nursery.

Mrs Boulton said: “The nursery doesn’t officially open until next week, but we already have 25 children enrolled.”

Children’s author David Almond will officially open the school on September 25.