CHILDREN and staff at Teyfant Primary and Hartcliffe Secondary will be shutting their classroom doors for the last time this week.

When they return after the holidays, they will move into the £40-million "all-through" centre – catering for students of all ages – called the Bridge Learning Campus.

Joining them there will be nursery children and college students, and, later in 2009, pupils from New Fosseway Special School.

The new learning centre is being run by a trust involving the University of the West of England, City of Bristol College and Bristol City Council.

The campus, long awaited in south Bristol, is expected to attract attention as one of the first purpose-built all-age schools in the country, offering an inclusive and seamless approach to lifelong learning.

On Monday, executive principal Mark Davies received the keys to the campus from the builders Skanska.

He said: "The hopes and aspirations of 15 years are coming to fruition.

"This community has been desperate to change the face of education and learning in the area and this campus provides us with the opportunity for that. My commitment is that we will maximise its potential for the people of Hartcliffe and Withywood."

Teyfant and the former Hartcliffe Engineering Community College changed their names to the Bridge in September and pupils at both began wearing the new Bridge campus uniform. Changes to staffing and structures have already begun and more will come into play after the move to the new building.

The aim is to work together to overcome some of the barriers to learning that a more traditional school set-up can bring.