EDUCATION bosses are to personally thank teachers for their dedication since a school was destroyed in a £2 million blaze.

The staff of Gregson Lane Primary School in Brindle have been teaching 200 pupils from temporary buildings on the school playing fields since the fire on May 12 last year.

Tomorrow, County Councillor Alan Whittaker, the cabinet member for education, and County Councillor Dorothy Westell, chairman of Lancashire County Council, will visit the school.

They will thank staff for maintaining high standards of teaching in such difficult circumstances.

Work on building a new school is due to start in May, with a completion date set for summer 2003. This will include an assembly hall and flagged playground. The newly-built school will include a pioneering sprinkler system as part of a multi-million pound County Hall plan to beat arsonists.

County Coun Whittaker said: "The schools has shown real determination in triumphing over this adversity.

"Myself and the chairman of Lancashire County Council wanted to visit to look around and personally thank the headteacher, staff and pupils at the school for their wonderful efforts."

Headteacher Vivienne Clark said: "I will take them on an official tour of the school and then to meet the staff and have a buffet with them.

"We are pleased that our hard work is being recognised in holding the school together after the fire.

"Things are getting better now. Plans have been submitted for the new school and this time next year we should be moving into it."

Two boys, aged 14 and 15, pleaded guilty to a charge of arson. They will be sentenced later this month at Preston Crown Court.