THE merging of two York primary schools saw pupils welcomed into their new home for the first day of of a new era.

Clifton With Rawcliffe School opened it’s doors yesterday to staff and children who were excited to explore the £7million building, which came about following the merger of two schools in Clifton.

Yesterday saw the infants going back to school, while the junior pupils must wait until later this year for lessons in their new home.

Head teacher Chris Wrigley said the day was “overwhelmingly exciting”.

He said: “It’s rather like moving to a new house and you are just finding your way around. There’s a new building and new children but it’s been a very calm morning.

“There have been a few quirky problems which we have overcome but this is a great building – we all love it.”

Mr Wrigley thanked City of York Council’s education department and Shepherd Construction for their work on the new school project.

Meanwhile, the merger of two other York schools moved a step further at the start of term with a new name and new uniform.

Our Lady Queen Of Martyrs RC School in Holgate has come about after the joining of English Martyrs’ RC School and Our Lady’s RC in Acomb.

While pupils and staff await the move into their new multi-million pound home on Hamilton Drive, pupils are now back in the classroom in new colours.

Head teacher Derek Sutherland said: “We are now officially Our Lady Queen Of Martyrs and to launch that we have switched to our new school uniform.

“The children are very excited – a lot of them wanted purple. If you mix red and blue, the two old school colours, you get purple. It was an easy decision.

“I took assembly on Thursday, the first day back, and the children looked fantastic in their new uniforms.”