PUPILS at Wood Farm Primary said goodbye to their old school as demolition work began to pave the way for the second phase of a £10.5m redevelopment.

The children released 100 biodegradable balloons with messages attached to them on Monday to mark the start of phase two of the project to create a new school in Titup Hall Drive.

Headteacher David Lewin said the building work had captured the children’s imagination and inspired lessons and assemblies.

Mr Lewin said: “The big machines started moving in yesterday.

“The children were watching them use a large machine and they saw it literally take bites out of the wall. They can now see the inside of the old building.”

Phase one was completed in the autumn. Once the old building is levelled, work can start on a new hall and teaching spaces for the primary school, which will be followed by the final phase classroom construction.

The school’s multi-million pound revamp was secured weeks before similar projects around the country promised under Labour’s Building Schools for Future programme were scrapped by the incoming coalition Government.

To give pupils a good view of the development, contractors Leadbitter have created windows in the hoardings so children can peek through and see the work.

Mr Lewin said: “The old school has been safely boarded off, but the kids get very excited looking through at the boarded-up building.

“At the moment the children are using some of the new school, so they’re having assemblies and getting ready for Christmas productions in the new school hall.

“Last year some of the children worked on a project about how to solve the loss of some playground space and next week the construction company are coming in to give an assembly about safety on building sites.”