A dozen schools across the district are set to benefit from almost £500,000 worth of extra Government funding, it was announced today.

The windfall will pay for the creation of two extra classrooms, the removal of outside toilet blocks at four schools and six schemes aimed at improving energy efficiency.

The cash boost, announced by Education Secretary David Blunkett, will be funded by the first proceeds from phasing out the Tories' assisted places scheme and an extra £40 million for new classrooms announced in the last Budget by Chancellor Gordon Brown.

The lions share of the cash will be split between St Cuthbert's RC Primary School in Bradford and Keighley's Our Lady of Victories RC Junior & Infant School.

Both schools will use the money to build an extra classroom, benefiting a total of 217 pupils.

All Saint's CE First School, St Phillip's CE First and Hainsworth Moor Middle in Bradford and Oldfield First School, Keighley, will share £146,573 for the removal of outside toilets.

And Holmefield First School, Eccleshill North Middle, St Matthew's RC First, St Cuthbert's RC Primary, Cavendish First and Margaret McMillan First in Bradford will receive a total of £150,000 to install modern central heating and other energy saving schemes.

Richard Goodswen, headteacher at Hainsworth Moor Middle School, Queensbury, said: "I'm delighted at the news. We are the highest school in Britain and tend to get the worst weather, so it's no fun for pupils who have to use outside toilets."

Catherine Gorman, headteacher at St Cuthbert's RC Primary School, Manningham, said the funding was more good news for the school.

She said: "We've just received a grant to reduce class sizes, but that meant we also needed an extra classroom."

Bradford Council's education committee chairman, Jim Flood, said: "I am particularly pleased we have been successful in all our bids to provide new boilers at five schools, helping to reduce costs for the schools. I am also pleased there will soon be no schools in Bradford with outside toilet blocks. It is high time these relics of Victorian schooling disappeared."

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