A HEADTEACHER has praised staff and pupils for maintaining standards while their school became a £12.5million building site.

David Whyte said teachers had shown "outstanding professionalism" in guiding students to above average examination results at St Wilfrid's CE High School, Blackburn.

And he praised contractors who moved in last December for making rapid progress on the massive project to turn the comprehensive into a state-of-the-art learning centre for the 21st century.

Mr Whyte added: "Our initial external examination results for 2002 at Key Stage 3 in the lower school reflect the outstanding professionalism of the teaching staff in spite of the building programme."

He said 89 per cent of students achieved level 5 or above in the three core subjects, English, maths and science, which was well above the national average.

Builders Keir North West worked through the winter, often by floodlight, to secure the site and start pile-driving.

When the scheme is finished St Wilfrid's will be reborn on the busy site off King Street, less than a mile from the town centre.

The school, which caters for nearly 1,500 pupils aged 11 to 18 from all over East Lancashire, was one of the first in the the UK to win technology college status.

However, several attempts to relocate failed and instead work started around the outdated Byrom Street school buildings.

Mr Whyte said: "As the construction phase has reached the main road, more and more people are becoming aware of the exciting opportunity a brand-new purpose-built school will bring to the Blackburn Diocese."

The first block, which is due to open in October 2002, will house science, design technology and art classrooms, the new school hall and drama space.

By the end of November staff hope to have access to the new sports hall, gym and sixth-form accommodation.

Next, the three-storey building will be demolished and the second phase of the development will start. This is due to be completed by October 2003.

Mr Whyte said: "I am delighted that the vision and support the school received from the Blackburn Diocese and Blackburn with Darwen Council can now be seen by the local community."