A Battersea primary school who re-opened its doors with a slide from the first floor to the playground has been visited the Archbishop of Southwark.

Pupils and staff at St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School, in St Joseph’s Road, met Archbishop Peter Smith yesterday (September 28), who blessed the new school at its official opening before presenting it with a plaque to mark the occasion.

Children at the school contributed towards building a model of the school while the plaque was presented by the archbishop.

The grand opening event celebrated the completion of the Battersea Exchange development by developers Taylor Wimpey Central London.

As part of the development, the new school now has a specially designed 852 square metre rooftop games pitch, school hall and new classrooms alongside its slide that runs from the first floor of the building to the playground.

In addition to an increased capacity that allows two-form entry, there is also a large courtyard place space and a new main entrance.

Executive headteacher Jared Brading said: “We are opening our brand new school and it’s a great privilege to have the Archbishop come down to celebrate mass and join us in our opening ceremony.

“It’s a brilliant looking new school situated in the heart of a new residential area, we feel very much a part of the development.

“It looks fantastic, it’s an impressive building, and I think any parent coming in cannot help but be wowed by the facilities that they are coming to.”

Mr Brading said the school has ambitions for the new facilities to be ‘at the heart’ of the community that can be used by both adults and children on weekends and after school.

Battersea Exchange is a mixed-use development that aims to build 290 new homes with an improved public that includes a new office, retail amenities, and restored railway arches for enhanced connectivity for retail use.