WORK has started on a new business centre at a Yate school which has only just discovered it is to remain open.

Staff and pupils at King Edmund Community School, in Sundridge Park, only found out that their beloved school was to be saved from closure or amalgamation last month. And already the cherry on top of their celebrations has come in the form a new business centre which is now under construction on site.

The centre, which will compliment the school's specialist status as a business enterprise and sports college - the only one in the country - is being designed with pupils in mind.

It will feature interactive boards, plenty of teaching rooms and state-of-the-art business facilities.

Conference rooms, however, will be available for hire by local companies. Allan Parris, director of the specialist college at King Edmunds, told the Gazette that the £150,000 centre will benefit students because there will be additional teaching resources.

He said: "It will also benefit the local community because groups and businesses will be able to use the centre for conferences and meetings." The centre has been funded by the specialist school fund and local sponsors.

Building work, which got underway last week, is evident to the whole of the south Yate community and Mr Parris said there was a buzz of excitement in the air.

"We are all very excited about the superb resource centre for the students and community and we are chomping at the bit to use it," he said. The centre is due to be completed on December 16 and will be opened in January.

The business centre project is separate from the community vocational centre, which will provide training for specific jobs for teenagers aged between 16 and 18 and caused so much controversy when its secured £3.1million Government funding was withheld by South Gloucestershire Council.

The council said it could not release the money while decisions were being made about the future of King Edmunds. However, when the ruling cabinet agreed to save the school last month, despite falling pupil numbers, it said the money could be given back to the school and work will start on that project at a date yet to be finalised.