A TUBE slide, a two tier playground with mini hills, an indoor-outdoor football pitch on the second floor and steps to reception that double up as an amphitheatre are just some of the innovations in at a new £7million primary school.

St Silas CE Primary School’s ‘rabbit warren’ Victorian building was knocked down after the 387 children and staff at the Blackburn school had outgrown the run down premises.

After 18 months staff and children have now moved into the new building in Clematis Street.

Parents and the community can have a look around the new school on May 2 from 1pm to 7pm at the school’s community fundraising event.

The glass fronted building has a courtyard entrance for children.

Classrooms that spill out onto the playground, picnic tables with inbuilt board games and a quiet zone where cupboards open up into desks where one-to-one tuition areas are a few of the inventive ideas implemented by headteacher Hillary Hinchliff.

A community cafe is also open for parents where they can take part in workshops to help their children with home or to learn English.

Within the 14 classrooms, the traditional classroom set-up has been put to one side and the rooms are divided into different activity areas. To help the flow of lessons they take their milk and fruit breaks when they feel hungry.

Staff have also been given a terrace from their staff room where they can have some quiet time from the children.

Headteacher Hillary Hinchliff, said: “It is absolutely fantastic. The team work from staff, parents and the local authority has created a school which will stand the test of time and it is a building which gives us the chance to be creative and innovative.

“The first morning I had a big lump in my throat.”