It's certainly been more than 40 days and 40 nights since St Bede pupils were forced to leave their riverside school because of flooding.

However, Wednesday saw their triumphant return as staff and pupils walked happily two by two, in a symbolic gesture, back through the school gates.

The Winchester primary school suffered severe damage from the non-stop rains in November and December 2000. Initially it was thought that the problem would only be a temporary inconvenience, but after a few days, it was clear that the school had to close.

As floodwater rose so did the estimated cost of repair. Staff and parents rallied to rescue what they could from the saturated building. Pupils were left without classrooms and school was well and truly out. Even this disruption provided a source of inspiration.

Children were encouraged to record their experience in poems, pictures and stories. These were later published in a souvenir book, together with a record of the flood and the move.

Over an extended Christmas holiday Hampshire County Council organised the building of a "flat-pack" school on Bereweeke Road in a field opposite Peter Symonds' College. In January 2001, the 350 pupils returned to school for what they hoped would be two terms only. Transport difficulties were solved by loyal parents and grandparents who formed "walking buses" to shepherd the children safely to and fro.

Although staff and parents did their best to make the transition easy, with still no word on the future of the Gordon Road site, there was cause for concern.

The council ruminated on the problem for 18 months. Parent pressure groups formed and there was even a suggestion that the Gordon Road buildings would be bulldozed leaving St Bede without a permanent home.

At the same time Bereweeke Road residents were complaining that the site looked like "a shanty town".

Restoration work started at last in September 2001. The £1.95m project has raised the floor level by two ft and a new drainage system will ward off rising water levels in the event of another flood. But the changes aren't just practical.

There is a new hall, music room and special needs area as well as improved staff facilities. An IT suite has been paid for by the fund-raising efforts of parents.

Head teacher, Louise Fitzpatrick, said: "Our new school is absolutely wonderful and we are enormously excited about our return."

The final day at Bereweeke was marked with a thanksgiving service and a short farewell ceremony. With an enthusiastic wave goodbye, pupils, staff and governors made the long and familiar walk to Gordon Road.

The children had lots of willing escorts as parents, police officers and city and county councillors joined the long crocodile, which held up traffic on Andover Road.

Once at their destination the pupils stood in sight of their new school and sang a rousing chorus of their own song, written by former head, Brian Milloy, with the line, "children of the riverside", which has been something of a mixed blessing for them.

Among the crowd waiting to greet them was another former head, Judy Hamilton, who said: "This is a great day for them all. I know they will be very happy here."

A joyful Mrs Fitzpatrick concluded: "The future looks bright for St Bede CoE Primary School."