WORK starts this week on a new multi-million pound primary school in west York.

The Right Reverend Terence Patrick Drainey, Bishop of Middlesbrough, will cut the first turf tomorrow to begin work on a new school for the Roman Catholic community in Acomb.

The venture will bring together two primary schools – Our Lady’s, in Acomb, and English Martyrs, in Hamilton Drive, to form the new building Our Lady Queen of Martyrs.

Both the existing schools were built more than 50 years ago, and are now considered too small for the needs of their pupils. Some fixtures from the schools will be incorporated in the new-build. The cost of the new school, which will hold 420 primary schoolchildren and 52 nursery children, is £5.75 million.

Our Lady Queen of Martyrs is expected to open in January 2012.

Bishop Drainey said: “The children, parents and staff who have waited, worked, and hoped for a new school for many years are delighted, as I am also, that at long last we are in sight of the fulfilment of our hopes.”

Derek Sutherland, head teacher for Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for two very highly respected schools in the local community to come together into one brand new state of the art school which is great news for catholic education in York.”