Sport will be more fun for pupils after a school’s frequently waterlogged field was replaced by a £520,000 pitch.

The modern artificial grass pitch at the Victory Academy, Chatham, will be used for school PE lessons, football and rugby matches as well as being available for the community to use.

Gillingham FC will also make use of the pitch and the club’s Advanced Academy for Boys will use it to coach young footballers aged 15 and 16 from across the county.

Gillingham Ladies FC will use it as a training base.

Funding came from the Premier League and the FA Facilities Fund which supports the development of new and refurbished grassroots facilities.

The pitch, which is floodlit, will also become the home ground of Meridian Girls and Ladies FC, who will use it for training and league matches.

Sports minister and Chatham MP Tracey Crouch, who officially opened it, said: “All weather pitches are absolutely vital. Good facilities help to encourage people to play sport and gain from the physical, social and mental benefits that the game offers.

“Having coached a local team myself I have seen first-hand the importance of having access to quality facilities all year round.

“It shows what can be achieved when the government, Premier League and the FA work together.

“This significant joint investment into state-of-the-art artificial pitches will not just help increase the numbers of people playing the game but will also result in more youngsters gaining coaching and refereeing qualifications.”

Academy principal Mandy Gage thanked the Premier League, the FA Facilities Fund and the Football Foundation for the pitch.

She said: “We are so grateful for the continued support of the academy from Tracey Crouch MP and her personal involvement with the rise of girls’ football in the area, as well as the support she provides to sport in general.

“This excellent new facility will benefit students, local clubs, schools and the wider community.

“It is the culmination of the efforts of a huge team of people who put children and the importance of sport at the forefront of developing our future generations and we thank each and every one of them.”