YOUNGSTERS at Dringhouses Primary School are celebrating the completion of their Early Year's Unit by hosting a grand opening ceremony.

Tomorrow at 11am, Pete Dwyer, City of York Council's director of learning, culture and children's services, will officially open the unit by cutting a ceremonial ribbon in front of invited guests including parents and governors.

City of York Council officers and members of the parent-teachers' association will be treated to entertainment by foundation stage children, followed by light refreshments.

Dringhouses School's youngest pupils have benefited from the new facilities since the start of the school year.

Refurbishment work was completed over the summer break to transform two existing classrooms into one bright and spacious unit, complete with new toilets and an adjoining playground and kitchen.

Jenny Langley, foundation stage team leader, said: "The new unit has been designed to create a stimulating, secure and practical area in which our reception and year one children are able to learn through a wide range of structured and less structured activities, both indoors and outdoors.

"We have received a great deal of positive feedback from parents and are delighted that the new unit is making such a valuable contribution to the continued success of our school."

Dringhouses School opened in 1863 and was originally a small village school for about 65 children.

Since then it has grown to its present size of around 315 children.

Compete with the new facilities the school has a multi-purpose hall and dining room, kitchen, library and music room, a community room, ICT suite-cum-training room in addition to classrooms.

Dringhouses Out of School Club also operates a breakfast club on school premises and an after school and holiday club in the social club opposite the school.

In 2005, the school celebrated the opening of a new £4,000 playground.

The new playground was revealed to pupils when they were joined by teachers, parents and bank staff from NatWest, which funded the project as part of the banks nationwide £3 million Supergrounds programme.

Dringhouses Primary School became involved with the scheme through a parent, Jayne Cook.