ALMOST a decade after it was ravaged by fire, Lytchett Minster School has at last celebrated the completion of a £12m rebuild.

Some 1,000 staff, pupils and friends gathered for the official opening of the new state-of-the-art maths, science and humanities building last week.

The two youngest pupils in the school cut the ribbon, then followed speeches and tours, culminating in a fireworks display to mark the end of a difficult past and the beginning of a bright future.

In June 2000 a blaze started by a student gutted more than half the school, including the maths/science building, school hall and theatre.

Some 100 firefighters fought the flames, just managing to save the adjoining 150-year-old manor house.

But the extensive damage meant for nine years pupils and staff have had to put up with working from some 30 temporary buildings nearly a quarter of a mile away from the main site.

But the school has been reunited at last – and the impact has already been felt, according to Hugh Notley, the school’s arts and language co-ordinator.

He said: “Architecture can change the way people behave and I think the ethos of the school is much more unified, much more positive.

“It has been a long and quite difficult development in many ways – but it is here at last and everyone is just delighted by it.”