Students at a prestigious borough school danced into the brand new home designed to push them to the max.

The Rambert School for contemporary dance and ballet relocated to the Richmond Lock premises last week, a move made possible by a three year fundraising push which saw the school gather £4.5m towards the cost.

Principal Ross McKim said: "We raised much of this from local people who donated at our performances. The Sainsbury family have also been very helpful and we are lucky that we have such a wonderful board."

As part of the new design the school now has purpose-built studios, a library, a pilates room and space for a treatment room.

Dr McKim said: "You need a lot of space to dance - we were based on the old Brunel University site and we had to share a lot of facilities. We are an international facility now with students coming to us from all over the world."

Developed around Clifton Lodge and the Violet Needham Chapel buildings which hail from Victorian times, the school's 100 students now study in an environment Dr McKim describes as "idyllic". He added: "Residents were afraid the site would be developed for housing - in a way we have saved these two old buildings."

Dr McKim said the new premises are up to helping the school's cohort of young talent make the grade: "They are everything they should be - we don't intend to get any bigger and these studios will stand for 100 years."

Rambert alumni include Jennifer White, Anna Sanchez and Joanne Fong, all who have scooped Best Young Dancer at the Dance Critics Awards.