PUPILS and staff at Norton Community Primary School are celebrating after their new canteen was officially opened.

The facility was completed earlier this month and includes a dining hall and kitchen, a glazed link to the existing school and a new entrance and toilet building.

Plans for the building were delayed following a withdrawal of Government funding and the school has been without a canteen since August 2010.

Amended plans were approved last summer with work getting underway earlier this year.

Headteacher Liz Parker said the school was delighted with the new hall and kitchen.

“Children can finally have an assembly together, which is lovely,” she said.

“The parents, particularly, have been so patient and supportive during the extended building works. They have tolerated being squashed into small areas to pick up the children and have never moaned about it.”

Mrs Parker said the school had got used to being in the middle of a building site.

“Our staff have had to work in some very difficult circumstances with no heating, parking or water on many occasions and they have just got on with their superb job of ensuring the children all have a good time and access the highest quality education,” she said.

“The pupils have acted so sensibly throughout and really look out for each other. They are really excited about the new opportunities this fantastic hall is going to offer and we are all looking forward to our first Christmas lunch together for three years.”

Mrs Parker said: “The school would like to publicly thank Paul Crinion of Mansell’s for his dedication to this project and being so flexible and supportive to enable the school to continue to operate.”