GENEROUS villagers have dug deep to ensure that St Nicholas' Primary School's new accommodation will be built.

The Bromham primary's Parent Teacher Association was tasked with raising £30,000 towards the total cost of £340,000.

The association surpassed the amount and raised £35,000, which was officially presented to the school on Saturday.

It raised the money through two auctions of promises one of which raised £7,600 a Christmas pudding race through the village, race nights, bazaars plus other events.

Donations were also made from among others the Wednesday Club in Bromham, the parish council and the Crown Estate, which owns land in Bromham.

Association chairman Serena Dalby said the fundraising efforts had been truly magnificent.

She said: "Raising the original target of £30,000 was so daunting but we surpassed it and we would like to thank the villagers for their fantastic support and backing.

"The whole village got behind us. The school plays an important role in the village and villagers like to support it."

Two permanent classrooms will be built at the school together with a bigger hall and administrative office. Two mobile classrooms that have been in use for 31 years will be shelved. Work on the new accommodation at the 103-pupil school will begin after it has broken up for the summer holidays and the work is due to take 12 months.

The efforts of the village was praised by Ofsted inspectors when they visited the school earlier this year.

The Ofsted report said: "The effort involved and the sums raised are an excellent testimony to the esteem in which the school is held."