THE multi-million pound Oxford Academy building is now finished, with staff busy moving in furniture ahead of its opening.

Pupils will take their first lessons in the £33million academy this week.

Half of the youngsters will use the classrooms for the first time on Thursday and be shown around the school.

The rest will move in on Friday, as the academy completes the first phase of its changeover.

Last Thursday developers Wilmott Dixon held a networking event at the academy, in Sandy Lane, to give industry insiders the chance to tour the premises.

Academy principal Mike Reading said it was a “very exciting” time for staff and pupils.

He said: “We are in the process of moving more than 3,000 boxes of equipment into the new building.

“Staff have been discovering their new classrooms and offices and have been like kids in a sweet shop.

“We need to orchestrate the move over two days because there is a lot for the students to learn.

“They need to learn how to top-up their cards for the cashless canteen, find their way to the English classroom or be shown how the showers work.

“It really is a stunning building and it’s very exciting for all involved.”

Developers will now start demolishing to the old school building to make way for sports pitches.

The new academy, which replaced Peers School, will provide facilities for up to 1,050 secondary school pupils and 400 sixth-formers.

It will be carbon neutral, with the whole upstairs given to the sixth formers.

The new Littlemore Library will be based in the academy and £70,000 of new exercise equipment will be installed for staff, students and the local community.

Mr Reading added: “We have now finished the first phase of the development.

“When the pupils are moved in, we will concentrate on the remaining parts of the development, including the all-weather sports pitch and netball courts which will open in September.”

Some rooms will be able to be changed in size and shape through movable partitions, and classrooms will be fitted with video cameras to let teachers record their lessons and watch them afterwards.

Regeneration company Wilmott Dixon were behind the project and operations director Martin Adie said it was nice to see the building come to fruition.

“We are helping with all the moving of equipment at the moment so we are still quite busy,” he said.

“It is great to see the academy come together and the reactions of people who are going to use it.

“We are now looking forward to starting the final phase of the development.”