THE borough’s first new high schools to be built in 40 years have opened their doors.

Around 3,000 pupils have taken their places at The Radclyffe and Failsworth secondary schools, where they will be taught in state-of-the-art buildings.

Students and staff will enjoy 21st Century facilities, including flat-screen televisions, ICT suites for each subject, and interactive whiteboards in every classroom.

As well as unrivalled sporting facilities, the multi-million-pound schools will also have rooms for a wide range of curriculum areas, such as pottery, drama and music.

The architects, ACP, have designed the schools to be very different, although they have many common themes.

Radclyffe has been built over three floors, with seven wings, whilst Failsworth is set on a long, narrow site and has four wings over two floors.

Students and staff contributed, with Radclyffe echoing the Trafford Centre, and Failsworth resembling a high-class business centre.

Both schools have large and multi-functional, open-air areas, curved corridors, and spiral staircases to create a modern feel.

Hardial Hayer, head at Radclyffe, said: "The school looked good on paper but the real thing is beyond our wildest dreams."

Atiqur Rahman, head boy, added: "I think the school is inspirational and with the fantastic facilities available to us, as students we can only succeed."

The unveiling of the new buildings on Wednesday involved the local communities, who will be able to use some of the social and leisure facilities.

David Johnson, head at Failsworth, said: "The new school provides a spectacular facility for the community – one to be proud of.

"The unique design coupled with the high specification has given us a building that will be enjoyed by many generations of young people from Failsworth. Our pupils were overawed."

Failsworth, a specialist sports college, boasts six tennis courts, astro-turf pitches, a swimming pool, two full size and one half size sports hall, two grass pitches, and a hall for archery and bowls.

Coupled with a £1m development of the fields opposite the school into a centre for football excellence, Failsworth should become one of the best centres for sporting excellence in the borough.

Radclyffe will specialise in technology, but also have top class sports facilities, such as a flood-lit astro-turf pitch, two sports halls, a floodlit outdoor all-weather athletics centre, an indoor athletics centre, an all-weather cricket pitch, four tennis courts, two soccer pitches, a rugby pitch, basketball courts, tennis courts, a fitness suite and a junior fitness gym.

Drama students have an open-air amphitheatre.

The schools were built as part of a 25-year, £97 million Private Finance Initiative between Oldham Council and Academy Services Oldham Ltd. A further £58 million comes from the Government, with a contribution from the local authority.

The PFI contract means the maintenance of the buildings and grounds, will be implemented for the next 25 years by Academy Services Oldham Ltd.

Cllr Hugh McDonald, cabinet member for children, young people and families, said: "I am absolutely delighted. I would like to thank the pupils, their parents and the local communities for their patience whilst work was underway.

"The finished articles really are spectacular and flexible enough to meet the changing needs of learners in the future."