PAST pupils of a tiny hill-top school went back to class to marvel at how the building has changed.

Built in 1894, Wilberlee Junior and Infant School at Slaithwaite remained virtually the same for more than a 100 years before the three-stage extension programme.

Now, there are two larger classrooms, a library and IT room, as well as an additional computer room and meeting room.

Unveiling the latest extension yesterday, headteacher Richard Bottom welcomed the former pupils to the school, some of whom studied there before World War Two.

Wilberlee's youngest pupil Joe Whiteley, aged four, got to met the oldest guest of honour Alice Bamforth, 82.

Together they performed the opening ceremony.

Past chairman of governors Roy Bowden was delighted with the improvements.

"The building is alive. The kids make the building but the building talks back to them. It's a fabulous place for them to learn in. It encourages the pupils to learn when it's good environment. It's a happy place."

Roy Sykes, of Wood Royd, joined the school in 1932 at the age of four. He left at 14. He envied the youngsters.

"It's marvellous," he said. "They're a lot better off than we were!"

One of his most vivid memories was the constant threat of corporal punishment.

"There were bad and good teachers. I got caned lots of times."

Marjorie Sykes, 79, of Ainley Place, praised the changes.

"I think it's absolutely amazing. There was no upstairs when I came to school."

Her great nephew, George Sykes, is now at Wilberlee.

"My father came here going back to the 1900s so we have a long connection. We are still coming, we haven't moved so far!"

Laura Palmer, 10, said of the new rooms: "They are good. It used to be really, really small and crowded."

She and her classmates were taught in a temporary classroom for some years. "It sometimes got really damp and cold."

Tanya Parry, also 10, added: "We have got more space to ourselves now."

The building programme began in summer 1998 with a classroom extension, an upstairs library, computer room and then an upstairs front extension.