THE Bishop of Ramsbury, the Rt Rev Peter Hullah, joined pupils, teachers and parents to bless a village school's new £450,000 hall.

The extension at Bishops Cannings School, near Devizes, means all 200 children can now fit comfortably into the hall for assembly, and gym classes have taken on a new lease of life.

Head teacher David Wade thanked everyone who had made the building project possible and his sentiments were echoed by chairman of the governors, Martin Giles.

Much of the cash for the extension to the church school came from the Salisbury Diocese with other money from grants.

The Friends of Bishops Cannings School held a wide variety of fundraising events to pay for equipment and furniture.

Mr Wade said the school had come a long way since it first moved to its present site in 1906.

Since he arrived in 1988 it had grown from just three classes with around 60 children, to seven classes with space for more than 200.

The hall has been used to its full potential this week for performances of the Pied Piper. The old school hall has now been converted into a classroom. The school has also gained a library which has been named in memory of school governor Sue Frearson who died two years ago.