Pupils at Mayfield School are settling into their new surroundings at Campus Whitehaven ahead of an official handover on Friday.

The £30 million development opened its doors last week and houses the school for children with special education needs along with St Benedict’s School.

It is the first time Mayfield staff and pupils have had purpose-built facilities. This week, pupils have been touring the school to explore their new surroundings.

There is a dedicated room for art and design technology, a food technology room with adjustable-height worktops, a science room.

There are plenty of opportunities for sensory experiences, with a sensory room, soft play room, and an immersive room where video images of everything from under-sea scenes to elephants and giraffes can be projected around the walls, along with sounds and smells.

Sixth formers can spend time in a spacious common room, and there is a flat where pupils who are working towards independent living can learn and practise everything from food preparation to vacuuming.

There is a new pool, a gym, and vast outdoor space continues, including a sports court and a walking track around which classes walk five times to clock up a mile.

And the school shares some areas with St Benedict’s, such as a dining area, where older pupils eat.

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Headteacher Gillian Temple said: “It’s amazing. There’s so much space.

“The children are having so much more exercise because they have got so much space. They’re coming in with glowing faces.

“We’re looking forward to working more with St Benedict’s. There are real opportunities for inclusion.”

Campus Whitehaven will be officially handed over on Friday.

Steve Bridgman, acting headteacher at St Benedict’s, said: “It is wonderful to be able to mark this significant point in the history of our school. The staff and, more importantly, students are already starting to take advantage of the opportunities given to us by the new state-of-the-art facilities.

“It’s an amazing gift to our communities, families and students alike.”

The £30 million investment for the campus came from partners including the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Sellafield Ltd, and Cumbria County Council. Copeland Community Fund has invested money to help pay for community sports facilities.