A new primary school which hopes to be the “heart” of a new 1,400-home community has opened after delays.

Rochester Riverside CoE Primary School was set to open in September 2022 but its unveiling was pushed back after the building contractor fell into financial problems.

The school finally opened to students a year later in September 2023.

An official opening ceremony took place yesterday (March 20) and saw the deputy mayor Marian Nestorov, Rochester and Strood MP Kelly Tolhurst and Reverend Dr Jonathan Gibbs, the Bishop of Rochester, among others, in attendance.

At the ribbon cutting event, headteacher Ali Mepsted told KentOnline that despite the challenges to opening seeing the children’s progress at the school has “made it all worthwhile”.

The new school, which is run by the Pilgrim Multi-Academy Trust, had previously taught pupils at The Pilgrim School in Borstal while construction was completed.

It is located on the banks of the River Medway and was built as part of the 1,400-home Rochester Riverside development which is currently under construction.

The new two-form school has 150 children attending at present.

Jan Taylor, who heads up the multi-academy trust in charge, says this is above predictions for the first year and hopes the school will be full for the reception class in the next academic year.

As part of the opening, the bishop blessed the building and led worship in the main hall with a service which included prayers and songs by pupils from four of the Trust’s schools.

Head teacher Mrs Mepsted said the road to opening, which had been marred by the pandemic, had “been quite a journey”.

She added: “2016 is when we first applied for this school and the potential to develop it in the area.

“It’s been an amazing opportunity, lots of blessings along the way, lots of challenges as well but I think just to be here with the children and see the progress they are already making and the enjoyment they have with their new school has made it all worthwhile.”

Mother-of-two Lydia Sutch, 38, attended the ceremony along with her sons, Matthew, seven, and Lucas, five, who are pupils at the school and shared their excitement for the official opening.

Mrs Sutch said: “I just love the community and the Christian ethos, just the fact they’ve been able to settle in really easily and make some really good friends.”

Deputy mayor for Medway Marian Nestorov, who was also in attendance, praised the quality of the new facilities.

The Labour councillor said: “The school is lovely, it’s an amazing, brand-new-state of the art facility, children really look happy here and with the Medway population on the rise bringing 180 new places couldn’t come at a better time.”

Cllr Tracy Coombs, the portfolio holder for education for Medway, also came along to see the school for the first time.

She said: “I am really excited to see the school officially opened, it is a wonderful facility, it’s going to be the heart of the community here.”

Conservative MP for Rochester and Strood, Kelly Tolhurst was also pleased to finally see the building in use.

“When the plans for the development first came forward we wanted the school here, and it has been a long road but it’s absolutely great that it’s finally open,” she said.