A PACKED-OUT primary school is celebrating more meals and more students after the official opening of two new classrooms and a better kitchen – meaning more meals and more students.

Previously, Marsh Gibbon Primary School, near Bicester, could only take in students up to Year 4, but since January it has boosted its intake by nearly half to 150 children up to the age of 11.

Headteacher Julie Hickey said: “We are delighted with our new classrooms and kitchen, and want to thank everyone for all their hard work and effort that has enabled us to achieve this.

“The team of governors and I set about successfully securing funding for the expansion.

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“Pupil numbers have gone up nearly 50 per cent since we initially announced our plans to extend. I am extremely proud of our brilliant school.”

The new additions include two eco-friendly classrooms that are 50 per cent more thermally effective than standard classrooms and include motion sensitive lights.

A kitchen extension has meant more hot meals can be dished out to children to meet demand.

Ms Hickey said: “We had a very tiny kitchen when they brought in the rule that all infants should have free school meals.

“But because the meals were so good and cooked fresh on the premises, all the children wanted them.

“Families did not want their children coming home with one having had a hot meal at school and the other not. Our kitchen just couldn’t cope with the numbers and luckily the Diocese gave us the money to expand to a lovely big kitchen.”

Ten-year-old Jodie Rogers said: “The spacing is really good, you can sit next to somebody you work well with.

“All the new resources are really good and it’s nice to use them.”

Niamey Lavin, 11, said: “It’s really nice we have got all this new stuff and all these new resources to use.”

Parent Lucy Stratton added: “Previously, children had to feed through to alternative schools, but thanks to grants and fantastic fundraising we have enough money to allow all pupils to stay in the school until they are 11.

“The kitchen was tiny and the poor cooks were turning out meals in cramped, hot conditions. Now, it is spacious and cooler and they have no problem producing up to 150 delicious, healthy meals every day.”

The new facilities were officially opened on Friday.

Students celebrated with an official ribbon cutting, cake, and a performance from the school choir.