LAST Friday (November 10) was a great day in the history of Shipston Primary School.

Lord Howe, formerly Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe, visited the school to open its new £500,000 extension, named the Stephen Gray Annexe in honour of the recently-retired chairman of governors, Stephen Gray.

Lord Howe and his wife, Lady Elspeth, toured the new buildings with headteacher Michael Parkhouse and the former Cabinet minister said: I'm very impressed indeed. It is obviously a very popular school and very strongly supported by the local population."

The extension gives the school and its 385 pupils another four classrooms, new offices and staff facilities and means it has been able to get rid of several old temporary classrooms.