EDUCATION chiefs have hailed a ‘new era’ for education in Burnley with the opening of four new multi-million pound schools.

Headteachers said there would be ‘no excuse’ for poor attainment with the opening of Blessed Trinity RC College, Hameldon Community College, Unity College and the Rose School.

They believe the £88million schools will ‘lift the spirits’ of pupils and provide a ‘new beginning’ for the town.

The schools are the last to be created under Lancashire County Council’s Building Schools for the Future, BSF, scheme and will open next week.

The next wave has been axed after the Government pulled the plug on funding, which would have transformed schools in the rest of the county.

Heads said the schools would revoluntionise learning thanks to their innovative design, which includes ‘breakout’ and flexible classroom spaces, unisex toilets to prevent bullying, thumbprint technology - and even a climbing wall.

Bernadette Bleasdale, head of Blessed Trinity RC College, said: “We are thrilled to bits. It is a wonderful, wonderful building which is second to none and we couldn’t ask for more.

“We have no excuse but to make sure learning is the very best.

"Everybody has to work very, very hard.

“It is only the beginning. We want to lift aspirations in a deprived town.

“This has the wow factor and we have to build on it.”

Sally Cryer, headteacher of Unity College, which has been created in Towneley Park, off Towneley Holmes Road, said the pupils of Burnley deserved the new schools.

She said: “The staff are so excited and we can’t wait to get the children in.

“We are out of that awful soulless building and into this unique school. It is stunning.

“It is the start of a new era. I just feel I am privileged and honoured to be head.”

Gill Broom, head of Hameldon Community College, off Coal Clough Lane, said the schools were the “cherry on the top of the cake”.

She said: “We are very, very lucky and have to use this opportunity to make sure the aims of BSF come to fruition.

“It is the new beginning, a huge milestone in learning. Good schools give more than just homework, they are there for the whole community and that is what this school is about.”

Nicky Jenning ,who is in charge of the Rose School, which caters for children with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, described Burnley as ‘fortunate’ the schools were completed before the BSF was axed.

She said: “It is a building we have been working towards, it is fantastic. This has been designed with the requirements of pupils in mind.”

County Councillor Susie Charles, cabinet member for Children and Schools, said: “These new buildings have been delivered to cost, on time, have provided work for hundreds – and they are stunning to look at.

"Good results depend on good teaching and hard work, but an inspiring environment and top-notch facilities have a big part to play, and they contribute to the pupils' education on many levels."

Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle said: “It is good news the schools in Burnley are opening up.

"I only hope schools will deliver the results from the pupils who attend them.

"It has been a hard slog for teachers waiting for the schools and I hope the pupils will be successful and get the results to take us forward to the industry moving into the town.”

HAMELDON

The 750-pupil Hameldon Community College, off Coal Clough Lane, has its school colours yellow and grey running along the outside of the building.

The £22million school was built on the former St Hilda’s Girls’ High site.

Head Gill Broom, in consultation with pupils and staff, has created a business like atmosphere to reflect the school’s specialism.

Pupils, staff and visitors are met with key words such as ‘enterprise’, listening’ and ‘progress’ which mimics the school’s ethos.

Pop art created by students has been blown up and used as wall paper in four areas including the reception.

The food technology kitchen area has been designed around the cookery programme Ready Steady Cook, with kitchen islands in the centre.

The headteacher said they plan to get three ducks for the sensory garden and name them Ham, El and Don.

The school caters for hearing impaired students and has a specialist inclusion facility.

BLESSED TRINITY

SOME pupils at Blessed Trinity RC College will meet for the first time next week when the £24million high school off Ormerod Street, opens.

The 1,250 place school, built on the former St Theodore’s RC boys school site, has been operating on a split site since it opened in September 2005.

Head Bernadette Bleasdale said: “Some of the children have never seen each other.”

Pupils will be given new ties to wear as part of their uniform to bring them together.

The school has been built over three floors and to add uniqueness to the ‘traditional but modern, light and airy’ building, quotes from a prayer by brother Nicholas Hutchinson have been painted on the walls to inspire pupils.

There is also an on-site chapel which can be seen through glass windows at the front.

Yesterday staff were unpacking 3,500 boxes ready for the opening next week.

UNITY

Before the new £33million curve-shaped school in Towneley Park was created, the BSF team had to divert the river which runs through the park to create access to the new site.

In the process they had to stun 400 fish to move them.

Another challenge was possible flooding in the area with the school sited on marshland.

Architects overcame this problem through hundreds of concrete posts and a 1.5metre void to allow for flood water.

Unity College is a specialist arts school and has named areas of the school after key figures.

For example the cafe is called Bronte’s, the main corridor is Broadway and there is a Chaucer’s restaurant.

The school includes an amphitheatre, a flexible theatre which can be arranged to hold performances in the round space and a climbing wall.

There is a chequered floor which staff hope to use as a human chess or drafts board.

And there is a special I Excel area for new year seven pupils to help the transition from high school and primary school.

The 1,050 pupil school is co-located with the City Learning Centre which offers extra ICT provisions for all Burnley schools.

ROSE

Unlike the other BSF schools, designers and staff had to create buildings and equip the Rose School with specialist features designed around the needs of its pupils.

The £9million school off Greenock Street, has specialist facilities for 40-plus pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.

It has sloping panels on the walls, above fitted equipment, to prevent children climbing on top of items such as filing cabinets.

There are no window sills for the same reason.

There are inbuilt benches where pupils can sit for time out and where staff can restrain pupils if necessary.

A room has been created where disruptive pupils can be placed in to calm down and a behaviour reward room has also been included.

Designers have incorporated green space on the site, which was not included in the old building. Wood cladding on the building keeps the classrooms cool.

And pupils can make use of the sensory garden, a recording studio, breakfast bar, a sports hall and a gym

Click below to see our picture gallery of Burnley's super schools