LEAVING your old school can be a bittersweet moment.

But for pupils at Belfairs High School, in Leigh, this landmark moment is cause for nothing but excitement, and for some is coming several years earlier than usual.

This is because youngsters at Belfairs, in Highlands Boulevard, are now well into their final term in their old school buildings.

From September, they will be taught in a new, purpose-built school, which is nearing completion at the site.

Ahead of the move, the mood among students is anticipatory, as they look forward to all the benefits their all-singing, all-dancing new school will bring.

Year 7 student Yathin Govender, 12, of London Road, Leigh, said: “It’s been exciting to see the new building going up, it’s much bigger and there’s only one block. We’ve been inside it, it’s very bright and white and looks very modern.”

Fellow Year 7 pupil Hope Haines, also 12, said the new single block should help youngsters make the transition to high school from primary school, because the current layout, which has about ten different buildings, can be a bit confusing at first.

Hope, of Dawlish Drive, Leigh, added: “I’m really looking forward to going into the new drama spaces, it’ll be really exciting. I think the move will be sort of sad, but I think I’ll find the new building much better.

“I’ve got a good few years there, so I’ll end up knowing the new school far better than this one.”

Finley Wright, 12, of Victoria Drive, Leigh, feels the old school has come to the end of its useful life, having been worn out by generations of youngsters, and is looking forward to moving to the new school.

The Year 7 student added: “It looks really good inside. It will have a lot more computers and interactive whiteboards, things like that, so it will be better in terms of us learning.”

Children in Year 8 are similarly keen to get their feet under the desks in the new building, and are looking forward to new additions like student lockers and wider corridors designed to prevent a crush.

Milo Watts, 13, of Beach Avenue, Leigh, said: “The new school is all purpose built, whereas this school has grown so much and has run out of space.

“In the new school it will take less time to swap classrooms and will give us more time to learn.”

Classmate Ellie Johnson, also 13, of Elmsleigh Drive, feels the old school has served students well, but is keen to sample the new school’s facilities, especially the fully-equipped drama studio and performance space, which has sliding walls, allowing the school hall to be used as part of the space too.

She said: “I think the drama rooms will be really great, because it’s like one huge room which can be separated off, but if we’re having a group performance we can have a really big room.”

Another Year 8 pupil, Joe Johnson, 12, of Bonchurch Avenue, added: “I think I’ll feel proud of the new school.”

Staff are also excited about the move and are looking forward to getting to grips with the new school building and all it can offer.

Allison Meechan, the school’s cover manager, has worked at Belfairs for 12 years and has seen the school change considerably.

She said: “I’m feeling very excited because this will be a massive change.

“There will be lots of new challenges, but we will face them head on and as a school we are quite good at coming together and working things through.”

Katie-Jane Brett, subject leader for dance and art at the school, is also looking forward to the move.

She said: “What will really change for us is the amount of facilities we’ll have. At the moment we can only have one class in the studio at a time, and the others have to use a difference space.

“In the new school we will have a much more professional space, and that’s so important for the kids.”