SWINDON'S CRUMBLING SCHOOLS: Swindon Borough Council has committed £8.9million worth of cash to spend on improving school buildings this year.

The following building projects are currently in progress:

At Ferndale Junior School three temporary classrooms are being replaced with permanent classrooms. A new entrance is being built and a new computer area for the students.

Three temporary classrooms are being replaced at Grange Junior School. The staff room is also being extended.

At Beechcroft Infants School a new entrance with reception and administration facilities is being created.

Churchfields School and Highworth Warneford School are to get extended dining rooms.

The dining room is also being extended at Commonweal School as is the science lab. There are also alterations being made to the music and drama facilities.

At Bishopstone Primary School a headteacher's office is being built and the staff room is being extended.

Three temporary classrooms are being replaced at Haydon Wick Primary School. A dedicated early years play area is being created as is a music and arts resource base.

Robin Phoenix-Stone, headteacher of Ferndale Junior School, is delighted by the building work that is being carried out at his school:

He said: "The school has been waiting for permanent classrooms to be built since the 1950s.

"Children deserve a good deal and they have not necessarily had that in the past.

"It's not ideal for the children to have to go from one building to another especially when it's cold or rainy.

"It's a much safer and secure site if the children are all in one building.

"Our library is in the corridor and our ICT suite is in a renovated cloakroom.

"It will be fantastic to have a dedicated space where all the children can see the computer screens.

"The school really deserves to be a first class facility for its pupils."