Nottingham’s second brand new primary school, Ambleside in Minver Crescent, Aspley, is celebrating its official opening on Friday (January 25).

A packed programme includes a procession around Minver Crescent in Aspley led by Trinity Showband, a 2008 time capsule and presentations by pupils during an hour long Opening Day assembly attended by Nottingham Lord Mayor Councillor Mohammed Munir.

In the afternoon Mrs Val Blasdale, the longest-serving member of staff at Ambleside, and the school’s youngest pupil, will cut a ribbon.

Councillor Jane Urquhart, Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for Children’s Services, will receive a contribution from each class for the time capsule and Graham Allen, MP for Nottingham North, will present a gift to each class. Every pupil will receive a gift at the end of the day.

"Ambleside Primary is a state-of-the-art school built for 21st century education. As well as providing excellent facilities for children in Aspley, it is at the heart of much wider regeneration in the area. It has helped create a real community focus for Aspley as an integral part of the newly-developed campus offering a full range of family facilities and support with neighbouring Minver Crescent Sports Centre, Sure Start Children’s Centre and Aspley Community and Training Centre, and I know that local councillors in Aspley also very much welcome this development, which they see as a real step forward for children in the area."

The £6.4 million school, designed and funded by Nottingham City Council, has been created from the former Ambleside Junior and Ambleside Infant schools. It opened in September with 540 pupils and 60 nursery children. Sixteen classrooms encircle a central courtyard and the school has a central IT suite, a hall/studio and a foundation unit housing reception classes and nursery.

Complete with under-floor heating, high-tech IT infrastructure and CCTV, the state-of-the-art single-storey building was constructed by Mansell and was completed in just over a year. It is the fourth educational project the company has completed for Nottingham City Council to enhance the City’s education facilities.

Headteacher Karen Hannon said: "Ambleside Primary School came into existence on September 2006. In October 2007 we moved to a brand new purpose-built facility which is fantastic. It is equipped with many individuals, young and old, who want the school to become a success and the true learning community that it can be. Ambleside is a great school to work in and we aspire to become an outstanding school. I am sure it is capable of achieving this in the future.

"This is not just a great new building but contains a heart and the passion of the people involved in Ambleside Primary School to want to succeed and achieve. The families in Aspley deserve this school as part of their community and I hope the excellent facilities will raise aspirations for all involved to follow their dreams and enable children to go on to do the jobs of their choosing."

Sue Thornton, Chair of the school governors, added: "The Governors are delighted with the new school which provides exciting opportunities for pupils and teachers to take advantage of a superb 21st century learning environment. A tremendous amount of hard work has gone into making this project so successful and we thank everyone who has been involved in the planning, building and commissioning of the school which will be an asset to the whole community."

Ambleside Primary is the second new school to be created in Aspley and in the City for at least 10 years. Rosslyn Park Primary, on Amesbury Circus, also in Apsley, opened in 2006. It was also formed out of separate infant and junior schools,