'Perfect' village aids its school

Parents and pupils of Kingham and head teacher Irene Beever

People power in a village named the best in England has helped a primary school build a £350,000 extension to house a new classroom.

Pupils at Kingham Primary had been using a temporary classroom until the LEA said it was going to remove it.

The 200 children were to be placed into six other permanent classrooms.

But villagers in Oxfordshire raised £250,000 to add to a £100,000 building grant. Country Life magazine had voted Kingham the best place to live.

Community spirit

Head teacher Irene Beever said: "It is an amazing achievement and credit must go the pupils, teachers, parents and the local community who offered such fantastic support.

"They deserve to be proud of their new hall and of their 'Village of the Year'."

The new school hall - designed by Warwick-based architects SMC Corstorphine & Wright - also boasts a new kitchen as well as the vital extra classroom and provides more space to hold assemblies.

Chris Francis, director at SMC Corstorphine & Wright, said: "We are delighted to have been part of the challenging design of this project.

"The hard work and dedication of everyone in Kingham has finally paid off and the children and staff at the school can now enjoy the benefits."

Kingham, with a population of just 700 people also has an independent secondary school, two small industrial estates, several shops, a post office, two pubs, several clubs and a main-line railway station about a mile away.