Pupils from Raglan Primary school were in full voice yesterday when the first turf was officially cut for their new school. Councillors and officers from Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) were treated to two songs by the school choir after being welcomed by the chairman of MCC, John Prosser. He spoke of the project being delivered one year earlier than expected after the council obtained early Welsh Government financial support. "The pupils' education over the next 12 months will be very closely linked to the building programme and we then look forward to the opening of the new school in September 2015," he said. Councillor Liz Hacket-Pain, cabinet member for children and young people, said it was a very exciting day for everybody. She said: "When we cut the turf, we are basically saying this is when the project is starting, what you are doing is breaking the ground, you're ground-breaking, something pioneering, something full of innovation. This is a special day for everybody." Headteacher Jeremy Piper paid a tribute to the school's eco-council, who have worked with the contractors and the builders, pushing them on the sustainability of the school. "There is nothing they don't know about photo-voltaic panels and biomass boilers," he said. "The school council have taken responsibility for making sure that everything that goes into our school reflects everything that has come from the children and they have all done amazing jobs." Margaret Davies, vice-chair of governors reminded the pupils that the first school was built in Raglan in 1861 and is now serving as a community centre for the village. The infants school building was then followed by the present school building which is due for demolition once the new school has been built. The headboy and headgirl of the school, Zac Woods and Laura Tovey, were joined by their deputies, Rhianna Deacon and Tom Gwillam, Liz Hacket-Pain and John Prosser, along with a representative from the contractors to cut the first turf using a spade that will eventually be hung in a display cabinet in the new school.