FAMILIES on an Oxford estate have celebrated the arrival of a multi-million-pound children’s centre.

The Slade and Headington Children’s Centre in Wood Farm, on the site of Wood Farm Primary School, will officially open on Saturday.

But the Oxford Mail has been given a preview of the building’s interior.

The centre is the first part of an £11m project to join together the primary, Slade Nursery School, Slade Day Nursery, the Children’s Centre and other community facilities.

Nursery and children’s centre head Sue Vermes said: “Wood Farm, although smaller than the other estates in Oxford, has for a long time had the same issues of deprivation.

“Because [it] is so much smaller, it has historically missed out on the investment that Blackbird Leys, Barton and Rose Hill have had.”

The building cost about £4m and includes a cafe, new primary classrooms and a temporary school hall and kitchen.

It was funded by Oxfordshire County Council, with an additional £125,000 from Oxford City Council.

Assistant nursery headteacher Beccy Axtell said: “We will have drop-ins for young mums and try to have young dads, breastfeeding clinics and whatever people want.”

The site will also have a new building for the primary school, a garden, art studio, drama facilities and a food technology workshop.

The children’s centre was previously at the Bullingdon Community Centre in Peat Moors.

Primary headteacher David Lewin said: “This is going to be an absolute flagship building, a flagship school and children’s centre for the whole of Oxford.”

Community groups will also be able to use the centre, which will be opened by ex-Oxfordshire education chief Sir Tim Brighouse during an open day on Saturday, from 9.30am to 12.30pm.