Despite the rain, pupils from Archbishop Tenison Church of England School were able to kick a ball about their new outdoor pitch which was opened by Geraint Davies MP last Tuesday, November 12.

The £75,000 outdoor site is made up of four pitches for tennis, netball, football and basketball and was paid for with the help of the voluntary-aided school's development trust, which accepts cash gifts from parents and contributed £40,000.

The school had endured waterlogged pitches in the winter months and its head teacher Richard Ford decided to replace the school's worn-out pitches with all-weather pitches that have a hard-standing porous surface.

Head teacher Richard Ford said: "The opening day was a good test for the pitch because it hammered down with rain. At one point we thought that we wouldn't be able to go out on the pitch because it was waterlogged but when the rain stopped the water just drained away."

A local authority grant gave £23,000 to the school and the school raised £6,000 alone from a sponsored walk completed by pupils.

Mr Ford added: "I am grateful to all those who helped make this possible.

"Now that we have all weather pitches in another part of the school, I am hoping to build an indoor sports hall where the old pitches used to be."