A YORK school is looking forward to more exciting times ahead as it starts its first full year in its new £18 million home.

Brian Crosby, the head teacher of Manor CE School, said the site in Low Poppleton Lane had “captured the ethos” of Manor and described the building as “vibrant and happy”.

He outlined plans to make it bigger by buying land for sports, an allotment area and woodland.

Looking back over 2009, he said: “We moved in in April during the Easter holiday, after two years of planning, and we got in on the day we scheduled.

“The young people are delighted with their new home. When we take visitors around the school and they speak to the pupils they come up with a long list of positives.”

Mr Crosby said he was “120 per cent happy” with the new building, and though he admitted there had been a small amount of compromise on what he set out to do within the site itself, he said the building offered spaces where pupils could achieve more than he had dreamed of.

“The children treat the building with respect because it’s something they enjoy,” he said. “They are proud of their home, which is very important to us.

“We wanted to make sure it was still a family school – we didn’t want to lose things about Manor which were special, such as caring for other people.”

Describing the new building as colourful, light and spacious, Mr Crosby revealed that a member of teaching staff was so impressed with the building she held her wedding reception in Manor’s hall.

The school will use a £3 million Government grant to develop a creative media area, accessible to every school in York.

The new facility will include a dance space, art studio and textile workshop.

He added: “We are also looking to buy more land to develop a sports field, a community allotment and an orchard.

“We also want to develop a woodland area for children with special needs to explore.”

However, with a bright future now in front of him and his pupils, Mr Crosby said: “We want to keep on going forward and make sure we aren’t complacent.”