PUPILS and staff at a Newport school are looking forward to a new era after more than 100 years in their Victorian buildings.

It will be a time of mixed emotions when the doors in Durham Road finally close next month.

Generations of children have happy memories of their time as infants and juniors.

But an even brighter future beckons at the new purpose-build Glan Usk Primary - a long awaited replacement for crumbling buildings which were declared unfit for purpose more than a decade ago.

Head teacher Jeff Beecher said staff, and pupils on the school council, had visited the new school and were getting excited as they could see it taking shape.

As well as many exciting new features to look forward to, the children and staff will no longer have to walk in all weathers to the off-site canteen, to a local church for concerts or to the recreation grounds for sports.

Nine hundred crates will arrive this month ready for the mammoth task of packing up the school's possessions.

Pupils break up earlier than other schoolchildren in Newport, on December 15, to enable staff to move everything to the new school in time for the January 5 opening.

Before then, however, a number of special events are being held.

Two open evenings are being held on November 24 and 25, the first for parents and grandparents while the second will be for the wider community.

Memorabilia and archive photographs will be on display and there will be a chance to buy items that will not be making the journey to the new school such as old encyclopaedias.

Any money raised will be added to the £8,000 parent have already raised for IT equipment.

Pupils will take part in sponsored carol singing on December 3 and Julie Hood, office manager at Norwest Holst, is planning a sponsored "teach".

Mr Beecher said they wanted to retain the same ethos that Durham Road school was renowned for when they move to the new school which will house more than 60 staff and 610 pupils aged three to 11.

* The school would welcome any other old photographs or memorabilia for the open evenings by December 20.