A new outdoor reading house at a St Albans school will now let children’s imaginations run wild after it was opened by the city’s mayor.

Councillor Salih Gaygusuz greeted pupils at Mandeville Primary School where the £18,000 bespoke reading house was unveiled.

In September last year a reading tent was set up on the school’s playing field as part of a reading festival.

Year 4 pupil, Olivia Harding, said: “We loved being able to take our books into the tent at playtime to read and at the end of the week we asked the teachers if it could stay.

“Unfortunately, the big tent had to be returned so many of us started talking about how cool it would be if we had somewhere permanent to read every playtime.”

Thanks to donations from the PTA and MandAid charity, the school was able to commission the project.

The reading house is built on stilts over a mound of earth with steps leading up to a platform big enough to take a class of children at a time.

Head Teacher Cathy Longhurst said: “Our stunning new reading house will encourage children to take their love of reading outside as well and the children feel such a sense of accomplishment as they lobbied me hard to persuade me to spend our money on it!

“Our thanks go to all parents and friends of the school who have raised money through fairs, discos, camp nights and other means, and in particularly to the dedicated parents and teachers who organise such fundraising events so well.”