A NEW £550,000 study block is set to boost pupils’ education at an Abingdon school.

Fitzharrys School’s ICT, Enterprise and Sixth Form Centre was officially opened by Oxford West and Abingdon MP Nicola Blackwood on Friday following a six-month revamp.

The site, formerly known as South Block, was refurbished using Government cash given to schools offering Diploma classes. It includes two ICT classrooms with 60 computers, two classrooms and a common room for the school’s 140 sixth formers and those from Larkmead, John Mason and Abingdon and Witney College.

Headteacher Jonathan Dennett said: “Fitzharrys is very fortunate to be able to benefit from this level of investment. Our new centre will make a real difference to the opportunities we can offer all our students.

“Through the Diploma and our shared sixth form offer it will also benefit students from the wider 14-19 Abingdon Partnership.

“It is a real good news story for our current and future Fitzharrys students.”

Head boy Aaron Spencer, 17, said: “The old block was outdated and had not had much work done on it since it was built. It has gone from being cold and at the end of its life to something vibrant and new.”

Fellow pupil Alex Dawson, 12, said: “The new block is much better than the old one. It is more high tech.”

Miss Blackwood, who cut a ribbon to open the new block, said: “These facilities offer students an excellent environment in which to learn, and in speaking to students it was clear how excited they were about their new school and the opportunities it will offer them.

“In the current climate, responding to the demand for new and high-level skills is crucial if the UK is to maintain its competitive edge.”

Governors’ chairman Lynn Fathers said: “ICT is absolutely fundamental to education and, if we want to prepare all our students to be able to make a really effective contribution to their community and workplace, this is where the investment has to be.” Town mayor Duncan Brown said: “It is great to see the school improving and developing.”

Philip Massey, Fitzharrys’ operations manager, said: “The interior has been massively simplified. Before it was an ill-design by modern-day standards. The small classrooms wasted space and it was difficult to manage.

“Now what we have is five extremely well designed, well proportioned classrooms.”