THE BISHOP of Blackburn will officially open new buildings at a Blackpool school today (Thursday).

The Right Reverend Nicholas Reade will unveil a plaque and attend a dedication service for the £5.2 million development at St George's CE High School, Cherry Tree Road, Blackpool.

The service will include dance, special prayers from new pupils and prefects and music organised by the school's newest teacher, Lindsey Morgan.

Head teacher Elizabeth Warner said: "The school has a long tradition of musical achievement and the fact that Ms Morgan is able to prepare pupils to participate in such a high-profile event in her first year is of great credit to her.

"I'm also very pleased that the dancers are included. Carolyn Hall, head of dance, is also a relative newcomer but has made a real impact on the school and was singled out for praise by Ofsted during inspection in autumn term.

"It's lovely that she and her dancers are part of this ceremony."

Blackpool Council's director of education, David Lund, and the Church of England's north of England director, Canon Peter Ballard, are also expected to be among the guests at the service.

Bishop Nicholas will also tour the school's new buildings, including a new Arts block, ten new classrooms, a lecture theatre, computer suite, and a caf and refectory.

And he will visit a memorial garden for Leanne Edmondson, a year eight pupil who died in a road traffic accident last June.

Plans from Leanne's year group, drawn together by pupil Luke Gill, have been included in a brief for landscape gardeners and the garden will be dedicated later this term in a ceremony involving Leanne's family, friends and teachers.

St George's is the Fylde Coast's only Church of England high school, and is seen by the diocese as a 'beacon school', a school spokesman said.

Admissions have soared from 58 in 1997 to 190 in 2004.

Chair of governors, deacon Ann Wren, added: "St George's is transformed. Everyone who lives locally knows it.

"What the governors seek now is to take that message outside Blackpool so that parents in Lancashire can benefit from the quality of education offered at our school."