One of the most advanced learning environments in the country was unveiled in the heart of a north Leeds community on November 6 2007.

The Lord Mayor of Leeds Cllr Brian Cleasby officially opened the state-of-the-art new facility which houses Ralph Thoresby School in Holt Park.

And it is not just the school’s 1000 young people who will benefit from the impressive new building, which boasts the latest in education-led design, including dedicated dance, drama and music recording studios, all-weather playing fields, outdoor learning areas and a Connexions careers office.

The wider community will be able to use many of the facilities at the school, which also houses a brand new community theatre and public library. A fully equipped care unit containing a hydrotherapy pool, fitness suite with specially adapted gym equipment will also improve the lives of young people with disabilities across Leeds.

The school has been completed along with a new facility for John Smeaton Community College under phase two of the £112m Combined Secondary Schools Project (CSSP), a partnership between Education Leeds, Leeds City Council and Land Securities Trillium.

One of the biggest schools Public Finance Initiative (PFI) projects to date, phase one of CSSP also provided stunning new facilities for South Leeds High and Carr Manor High as well as the region’s first ever learning campus for two to 19 year olds incorporating Primrose High and Shakespeare Primary.

The school’s facilities are widely available for community use with a certain number of hours given to local organisations free of charge.

The project is the latest in a £450m programme of investment in Leeds which has so far seen 29 new schools built with a further five new builds and nine large scale refurbishments to follow by 2010.