A BRAND new £5 million teaching block at Ridgewood High School has been officially opened by an award-winning children's author.

Writer Lisa Williamson cut the ribbon to unveil the new building which is home to a new library, pastoral care suite and English and humanities classrooms.

The new block follows renovations carried out on the sports block.

Lisa, whose books include The Art of Being Normal for which she won the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2016 for Older Fiction, is known for exploring issues such as social identity, acceptance, friendships and bullying in her work.

After unveiling the new H Block, Lisa met with students to answer their questions and sign books.

Rae Cope, headteacher of the Park Road West school, said: "We are incredibly pleased with our new teaching block housing English, Humanities, the library and our pastoral care suite. This follows on from our fully renovated Sports block. Increasingly our students have the high quality facilities they deserve.

"With our recent good gradings for personal development and student behaviour and attitudes, we are proud to host visitors who will fire up their hopes and help them see wider horizons. We are sure that Lisa will be the first of many taking the speaker’s spot in our library.”