A HEAD teacher has vowed to retain the family atmosphere of a special school after its new £4.5 million complex was officially opened.

Mill Green School, which has 85 pupils, has relocated from Newton-le-Willows to a development at the former Parr High site off Lansbury Avenue.

It is the first special school in the country built under new funding guidelines.

The former Mill Green missed out on investment when Building Schools for the Future ceased but St Helens Council successfully tapped into money delivered by the Education Funding Agency .

Head teacher Colin Myers said his aim was to ensure the atmosphere of the former school was recreated in Parr.

He said: “We used to say you could feel the love in the walls of the old school because everybody felt so together. We want to recreate that here.

“The past two years have been both sad and exciting for all pupils and staff.

"We have experienced closing one school and saying goodbye to its community as well as planning a brand new school within a different community.

“We have an outstanding teaching and learning environment designed and built to meet the needs of all our pupils as well as integrating into the local community of Parr.

“The spacious building will offer exciting educational, vocational and social opportunities supporting independence.

Councillor Sue Murphy, cabinet member for schools at St Helens Council: “It is an outstanding new facility and we are all very proud of it.”

St Helens Council hope that it will be equally successful in its bid to create a new Penkford special school.