PUPILS at a York primary school have celebrated a landmark in the history of their new school building.

The Right Reverend Terence Patrick Drainey, Bishop of Middlesbrough, laid and blessed the foundation stone at the new Our Lady Queen of Martyrs RC School in Acomb yesterday morning.

The new school will see two schools Our Lady's in Acomb and English Martyrs in Hamilton Drive brought together under one roof in the new building.

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.

Bishop Drainey led the children, parents, staff, local dignitaries and other visitors in song and prayer on this momentous occasion.

He 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.”

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