THE £500,000 transformation of a school has been delayed by three months.

work was due to start at Thomasson Memorial School, Heaton, over the summer holidays with plans for two new play areas, but only the initial stages of work has been started, and the original completion date of Christmas has been postponed until Easter of next year.

The transformation plans include flattening the hall and an adjoining building -- which were built in 1907 as a residential wing and a secondary school for what was then a school for 150 deaf and blind children from all over the North-west -- to make way for new houses.

A new school hall will be built at the Devonshire Road site making life much easier for staff and the 50 hearing impaired pupils as they will no longer have to troop across to the old building in wet weather.

The rear of the school will receive a facelift with a new entrance area, driveway and car park and there will be a playground as well as a soft play area for the nursery members surrounded by a secure fence.

Headteacher, Bill Wilson, had wanted as much work to be completed as possible during the summer holidays to minimise disruption to his pupils over the next two school terms.

He said: "We'll cope with the disruption, but it is just unfortunate that the children will be on site while all the work is being completed.

"The summer holidays would have been the ideal time to get the bulk of the work out of the way, but it couldn't be helped.

"Instead of one contractor carrying out all the work, a lot of the work has been subcontracted."