THE playground at a primary school in Yate is no longer just a place to play conkers, it has been transformed into a world of opportunity.

An outdoor village of wooden and wicker huts, a sandpit big enough to be called a beach and an amphitheatre have all been built at Wellesley Primary School, in Edgeworth.

Over several years, the school saved £55,000 to pay for the world-class facilities after the old school buildings were rebuilt in 2006.

Headteacher Andrew Lynham said: "The new school was built on our old playground so for three years we have had no sports field at all.

"We scrimped and saved and then asked parents, pupils, teachers and governors what they would like on the old school site.

"We wanted to develop the grounds into a stimulating environment for the children, allowing them to play and also provide a wealth of resources to help them learn across the curriculum."

The grounds even boast a hill with a castle on top and water pumps with a large pond.

Mr Lynham added: "You would be hard pushed to find better school grounds anywhere than right here in Yate."

An unveiling ceremony was held today and parents and younger siblings of pupils were invited to test out the playground and enjoy tea and cakes in the afternoon.