A south Bristol school has made a bold move to help bring children up to standard in English and maths.

Connaught Primary has set up a Year Six Study Centre for its oldest pupils.

It has also introduced single age classes, rather than mixed year groups, in the rest of the school.

The switch, which started after the October break, has been welcomed by parents, staff and children.

The school has had a poor academic record in recent years, so it is hoped a different approach will help improve results.

The study centre is housed in a former sports hall, which was built five years ago at a cost of £700,000 but has since been used little during the school day.

New head teacher Simon Rowe and new deputy Diane Williamson looked at the space and decided – with the backing of staff, governors and Bristol City Council – that it could be converted for use by the 48 children in Year Six with their two teachers and a teaching assistant.

Mr Rowe said staff, children parents and carers had worked hard to create the new facility and early signs were very promising.

Children helped set up and name the learning areas within the centre, including The Snuggle and Hugs Library, The No Kids Cupboard, The Food Palace, Scribe Land and The Learning Patch.

"The chief aim of the centre is to raise expectations, to raise the profile of learning and ultimately to raise standards," Mr Rowe said.

"High standards of self-motivation and self-discipline are helping children with the final year of primary and preparing them for secondary school and lifelong learning."

The secondary schools that many of the youngsters will move on to next September have changed in recent years to a curriculum that expects children to be able to learn independently, so the set-up should help the children with that approach.

Graham Blacker, deputy chairman of the school's governors, who started at Connaught as a pupil 70 years ago, was full of praise for the new centre. "It is brilliant," he said. "It is something that has been needed for a long time."

Troy Prescott, 10, chairman of the school council, who cut the ribbon to open the centre, agreed: "It is really good. When we are all in, it is a bit cramped, but we can go off and learn in different areas."