LEW Trenchard Primary School is involved in a major project to build a new classroom, extra toilets, a new reception office and a small kitchen area, writes Sally Shipton.

The school, pre-school and local community have raised £103,000 so far towards the scheme but is still £10,000 short of its £113,000 target.

Over the last two years the school has managed to raise money by a series of fundraising events such as jumble sales, quiz nights, a big breakfast event and others. The recent Pig, Wig, Swig and Jig night in the Blue Lion Inn raised more than £2,000.

Headmaster Tim Woodward said that members of the community, parents and staff had provided fantastic support to the school and that the fundraising had very much been a community effort.

The school caters for children aged two to 11 and currently has 80 children in the main school plus another 20 in the pre-school.

Up until now, the pre-school has been located in the school hall and was only open in the mornings. However, the new building will enable the pre-school to open for five full days a week and free up space in the main hall for other school activities.

The new toilets are also of particular urgency as the school currently only has one boy’s cubical. Mr Woodward said 87 children would be coming to school in September so was vital that the project was finished by the end of August.

The headmaster is also hopeful that Devon County Council will provide sufficient funding to enable the whole project to be completed in the summer. This will enable the school to have a sensory room to support children with special educational needs and to provide an extra room for small group teaching and learning interventions.

Fundraising for the school will continue this summer starting with a special afternoon tea arranged at Lewtrenchard Manor on July 23 and a fashion event which will take place in September.