MONTHS of disruption to lessons at St Hilda's CE Primary School in Prestwich was worth the wait after a new learning support unit was launched.

Funded by the Manchester Diocese, the unit has been built on top of one of the classrooms at the Whittaker Lane school, to provide a quiet and inspiring learning environment for small groups of children.

In order to create the new unit, the classroom beneath first had to be demolished and the two rooms rebuilt together.

Headteacher Mrs Kath Perry said: "For a term one class has had to take their lessons in the hall and all the work has been done in school time. As a result we have had to work well together but now the finished unit is great.

"We have small classrooms with large numbers and before we had nowhere to take small groups of children. Now it is a treat to go to the learning support unit."

The unit enables teachers to spend time with children who need extra learning support or who are gifted and talented.

Mrs Perry added: "They can have a story, do guided reading sessions or do art work. It is anyone who needs to work in a small group, in a calm and constructive environment."

At the official opening of the unit, the pupils performed a version of The Good Samaritan taken from Lessons From Jesus.

The unit was opened by Mr Harold Williams, Bury's Director of Education, and blessed by the priest-in-charge at St Hilda's, Father Ronald Croft.