A LITTLE girl from Hook was the first pupil to sign up for the new Sherfield School, which now has nearly 100 pupils registered to start in September.

Eleanor Wilson (pictured), who lives with her parents David and Julia Wilson and big brother Alex, in Middlemead, Hook, registered to start at the new "premium quality" school in Sherfield-on-Loddon in February.

Eleanor, 10, who currently attends Yateley Manor school, will start in Year 7 at the old North Foreland Lodge site.

She said she was excited about starting a new school, and was particularly looking forward to spending time in the school's 70-acre grounds.

Mrs Wilson said: "We were impressed with the core values and ethos of the school, and the facilities are excellent. It also seems very much a family orientated place with social functions and facilities for parents waiting for their children."

Sian Jones, a spokeswoman for GEMS, said the school had been delighted with the response from prospective parents, and said the school has registered nearly 100 pupils to start this September, and a further 50 for subsequent years. She added: "We are very proud of Eleanor and her family, for taking that leap of faith first."

Sherfield School is owned and managed by Dubai-based Global education Management Systems (GEMS), which paid £6million in January for the former girls' boarding school North Foreland Lodge.

The new co-educational independent day school will cater for pupils ranging from nursery age through to 19.