THEY have watched it being built from its very foundations.

And now, pupils have had their first glimpse inside the new Christopher Pickering Primary School.

About 400 pupils from Bethune Primary School, Tilbury Primary School and Ganton Special School looked round the building in Burnham Road.

The school will open next year with an intake of 420 youngsters currently attending both Tilbury and Bethune Primary Schools, which will close.

It will also have 39 nursery places and provision for 40 pupils with hearing impairment.

Maccauley Cooke, 6, said: "It was really good.

"My heart was beating really fast because I was excited to see the school.

"My favourite part was the classrooms."

Owen Stacey, 6, said: "I thought it was really, really exciting going in there and I was like, wow, at it.

"I can't wait to start there. It is miles better than the old school."

Louise Smith, 7, said: "It was good, we got to go upstairs and look out of the school."

Staff from Balfour Beatty, the construction company building the school, took groups of pupils around all week.

Allan Grantham, project director at Balfour Beatty, said: "The Balfour Beatty site team wanted to give future pupils of Christopher Pickering Primary School the opportunity to have a preview of the school they will be going to in September.

"The team organised the visits over a full week to make sure everyone had the chance to see the building as it nears completion."

Mr Grantham said the school was unique.

He said: "Balfour Beatty will leave a fantastic facility and a legacy for future generations to come.

"The completed facility will bring together mainstream, special needs and hearing impaired children and the local community into a single building, which is believed to be unique.

"I am delighted to add that everything is on programme to be delivered on time and I am looking forward to the school opening its doors in September."

The relocation of Tilbury and Bethune is one of a number of planned moves to improve the primary school system in the city in a bid to stop parents sending their children to East Riding schools.

Endike Primary School, in north Hull, is also being rebuilt.