Oasis Academy head Ian Golding said the new £16 million facility provided an important tool in the its aim to lift aspirations in the area.

He said: “The building is telling teachers and children and parents there’s no excuses now.

“Students’ uniform has instantly risen, and those who aren’t doing the right thing are increasingly like dinosaurs. People are saying we’ve moved on, we want to be a different person and a different school.

“What I love about it is there’s only one way in, and that’s through that agora.

The very fabric of the building says you’re special, you’re unique and you’re worth investing in.

“This is for you and that’s what we tell students all the time.

“We tell our children don’t whinge about how hard your life is, you’ve got to come here and work your socks off and we’ll back you 100 per cent.

“We’ve got teachers who care and will go the extra mile, but they’ve got to care and somehow find something inside.”