Work on a new world-class facility at rural Magherafelt High School has officially started, with a special 'sod cutting' ceremony to mark the occasion.

A completely new school is being provided at a cost of £8.5m and pupils should be able to move into the new accommodation in September 2011.

Heron Brothers of Draperstown secured the contract for the work which includes the subsequent demolition of the 54-year-old school building and the creation of new pitches and car parking.

The construction is being supervised by Building Design Partnership, which carried out the planning work for the project.

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Included in the plans are a sports hall, a multi-purpose hall, a kitchen and dining area, a sixth form centre, careers suite, Learning Support Centre, library and resource centre, specialist and general subject classrooms plus extensive ancillary accommodation.

There are also tennis courts, grass and synthetic pitches and a cricket square.

Chief Executive of the NEELB Mr Gordon Topping performed the official sod cutting to mark the beginning of the new Magherafelt High School Building Scheme.

In attendance at the ceremony were current school Principal Brian McCluskey along with past Principals, governors and representatives of the North Eastern Education and Library Board, the main contractors and architects.

Principal McCluskey said: "The whole school community is tremendously excited by the new-build project. We are looking forward to an extremely bright future and to world class educational opportunities being available to both our pupils and the local community."

Mid-Ulster MLA Billy Armstrong hailed the cutting of the first sod as the beginning of a new era.

(BMcc/GK)