THOUSANDS of school children across Burnley and Pendle started at new schools yesterday, as the £250million revolution of education in East Lancashire became a reality. We witnessed the historic occasion.

EXCITEMENT, optimism and community spirit filled the air at Unity College, Burnley, yesterday as hundreds of pupils wiped the dust off their school bags and witnessed the start of a new chapter in the town's education.

Balloons surrounded the entrance of the school, on the site of old Towneley High, as the event was celebrated by governors, staff and pupils of the 1,050 capacity college.

All of them seemed excited about finishing their nine-week holiday.

As school pupil Heather Ashworth, who won the competition to name the school, cut the ribbon to officially mark the opening of the school, a cheer went up from the crowd, who had gathered outside the entrance to witness history-making.

Michael Murray MBE and chair of the governors, summed up the feeling of the whole enterprise, as schools work as part of the Burnley Learning Partnership and as a community, moving forward together into this exciting future.

He said "I'm very excited, not only for Unity College, but for the whole of Burnley.

"To see this involvement of the schools shows how the whole town is moving forward and as a Burnley lad, it makes me very proud."

Headteacher Sally Cryer started the day with a speech, stressing the opportunities and exciting prospects the Building Schools for the Future project provides the children of Burnley.

Mrs Cryer said: "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am delighted to have the support from a team of teachers, support staff and governors who will play a pivotal role in creating a vibrant and successful college."

Unity College has been awarded specialist arts centre status, making them one of three out of the eight new colleges in Burnley and Pendle to achieve such a status.

Mrs Cryer said: "Obviously, we will be teaching all of the normal subjects but we will have the opportunity to do extra arts."

She is hoping that the specialist status awarded to these colleges will cement the feeling of community by allowing a cross over of pupils to study in certain areas.

She said: "We are hoping that as part of the Burnley Learning Project, students from around this area will be able to come into Unity College to study arts so all of the schools in the area will be able to work together to provide a better education for all of the children in Burnley."

The opening of the new schools is the first phase of the Building Schools for the Future programme. Eight new sites are being built by 2010.

Mrs Cryer said: "We are very excited about the opportunities for youngsters in Burnley now and once we are in the new building.

"We should be in the new place on this day in 2009, where we will have all of the state-of-the-art facilities, making us a college fit for education in the 21st century."

As an emblem of the new beginnings, new uniforms were provided for all of the students, who fully appreciated the gift, as head boy, 15-year-old Joe Broadley, said: "I like the changes being made, such as the new uniforms.

"They are much better, much more comfortable and they have loads of pockets!"

Mrs Cryer attempted to express the overall feeling surrounding the whole project. She said: "As a member of the Burnley Learning Project we will work as part of a continuum, aiming to raise attainment, increase participation beyond the compulsory phase and create an ethos for life-long learning.

"We hope Unity College will become the hub of the community."