WHAT is thought to be Epping's first new school complex in 100 years was officially opened today.

The £6.2million building, the new home of Epping Primary School, features 14 classrooms, a community room and a large drama and music hall fitted with a state-of-the-art sound system.

The structure is also believed to be one of the most environmentally-friendly in Britain.

All the school's heat is generated by solar panels and a wood chip stove, with rainwater collected in the playground being used to flush the toilets.

Carbon dioxide detectors in every room will automatically open classroom windows if levels of the gas become too high, and pupils will be kept warm by under-floor heating - with not a single radiator in the whole building.

Acting headteacher Lee Regan, who has been covering at the school while head Tracy O'Donnell is on maternity leave, said pupils and staff alike had been left awe-struck by the shiny new structure.

He said: “It's simply amazing. I've worked in lots of schools in my time but I've never seen anything like it.

“The children have been amazed by it - everyone's walking around with their jaws on the floor. You have to see it to believe it. It really is quite incredible.”

“The pupils are incredibly aware of the environment and the impact humans have on it, so I think it does send an important message to them.

“And it will save the school money because we won't have to pay heating bills, and we'll be as self-sufficient as possible.”

The building, in Coronation Hill, will serve as a replacement for the school's temporary site in St John's Road, which was established after the amalgamation of Epping Infants and Juniors in 2008.

Builders are still putting the finishing touches to the school's playground and other external works, which are due to be completed within the next four weeks.

The school currently has around 360 pupils but this will be expanded to 420 pupils in September.