PUPILS of a girls' school, who broke up for their long summer break this week, will be greeted by new facilities on their return in September.

When summer term ended at Durham High School for Girls on Tuesday, children in the infant group left a scene resembling a building site, complete with scaffolding round an expansion development.

But when the next academic year begins, on September 6, the girls, aged four to eight, will enjoy state-of-the-art facilities in a new eight classroom extension.

Scaffolding came down this week revealing the new infant school block, which has cost the independent fee-paying school a six-figure sum.

Margaret Stone, Durham High head of junior house, said the development was purpose-built for the 120 pupils in the reception class and years one, two and three.

"Both teachers and pupils are very excited about the new building," she said.

"Following the expansion of Durham High, it's a much-needed addition to the school, and the children can't wait to take their places in the new classrooms."

Mrs Stone said project architects Browne Smith Baker designed a distinctive building to accommodate varying class sizes.

The flexibility of the classrooms is due to a folding partition, which allows teachers to make them larger, or smaller, depending on group size.

Mrs Stone said it would allow a new library for the junior end of the school in some of the former classrooms, which have been freed up by the opening of the extension.

She said the children had watched the new block grow with interest, and were eagerly awaiting the official opening by a mystery celebrity guest, in the autumn.

The school, off South Road, Durham, has a total roll of 460 pupils, aged from three to 18 year