EXCITEMENT filled the corridors at Bidford Primary School this week as work began on building a new school for the village.

The long-awaited school is being built on land off Wilkes Way which Beazer Homes donated to Warwickshire County Council as part of its planning permission to build new houses in the area.

It is being paid for by funds generated by the sale of the existing school's Victoria Road site and other county council-owned land next to the fire station.

Headteacher Ellen Honeybun said: "We have a completion date of July 2002 so we are planning to move in by September next year. It is going to be marvellous as it is incorporating a library, nursery and a parish meeting room too so it will have a wonderful community feel to it. Part of my vision for the school is to get the community involved in the school as much as possible either by local people coming in or by pupils going out into the community." The new school will also be bigger and will take 320 pupils instead of the current 260.