THE newest school in Worcester celebrated its opening this term with a special ceremony.

Warndon Primary School was officially opened by the city's mayor Ian Imray in a ribbon-cutting event with staff and pupils.

The school is the product of a controversial merger between Warndon Infants and Warndon Junior Schools into an all-through primary school.

County council officers had recommended the two Edgeworth Close schools were combined to form a new 420-place primary school, which also has a nursery department attached.

Education chiefs said there would be educational benefits of having one headteacher and staff, which would allow the best possible tracking of pupil progress and the best use of resources.

Plans for the merger mixed reactions with support from Warndon Junior School and some parents challenged the idea, questioning the need for any change.

Warndon Infants School governors opposed the merger, because of concerns about a lack of proof of the educational benefits.

Despite the controversy, the county council agreed the plan, and both schools closed before the summer, reopening as Warndon Primary School on September 1.

New head Monika Wadeson-Wilcox said: "It's really exciting to be the newest school in Worcester and the intention is that we take the best of both schools through to the new school."

She said they were finding lots of things to do together and already had more than 400 children in the school.

She added: "And for the first time they will be able to progress from nursery to year six as part of the same Warndon team. We are one of the biggest schools in Worcester and we want to make the school the best school in Worcester."