NORMALLY half term is a time when teachers can relax and put their feet up.

But not for teachers and parents at Prince's Mead School, in Winchester who helped move the entire school over the half term.

Equipment for up to 300 pupils and 50 staff had to be shifted along with Gus the cat, a stray, who was officially adopted eight years ago.

"The first thing Len Stamp the caretaker did in the new school was put a cat flap in," said headmistress Donna Moore.

The school had been at Edgar Road for the last 50 years but has moved to the more spacious location of Worthy Park House in Abbots Worthy.

Among the many strange things discovered by teachers during the mammoth removal operation were four pianos, which they didn't know existed.

Now everything is ensconced in Worthy Park House, Mrs Moore said: "All we need now are the children.

"For us and me personally it's a new beginning."

She added: "The new school looks so beautiful at the moment and we've got so much more space and a bigger playground."

"All sorts of people have been dropping in to help with the move, mothers and fathers - everyone's been terrific."

The school had been trying to find new premises for the last ten years. It opens its doors at the new location today Monday. (I/11).

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