ST JOSEPH’S Primary School in Kelty is set to receive a £500,000 Scottish Government funding boost to build new classrooms over the next two years.

Chairman of Fife Council education services, Douglas Chapman, announced the award yesterday.

He said, “This significant funding package for St Joseph’s means that we can start to make serious in-roads into reducing class sizes in the early years while, more generally, giving the school more space in which to operate.

“St Joseph’s sits on a very tight site and space in the school is limited, however, the roll has shown considerable growth, especially in the early years, and more class room space was required.

“This is part of the SNP’s approach to give our youngest children a flying start at school and the through this decision to invest £500k in the school, a flying start is exactly what children in Kelty will get.”

Feasibility work on the project is already under way showing the 2009/10 leg of the project will cost £400,000, with a further £100,000 the following year.

Local SNP councillor Ann Bain said, “This is fantastic news and we’re all very grateful to the Scottish Government for making this funding available to reduce class sizes, especially in areas where children need an extra bit of help in the early years.

“There has been clear growth in the roll at St Joseph’s and we wanted to reduce class sizes there last year but there wasn’t enough space.

“Now we have this funding, as from 2009 we will have the classroom space to put in extra teachers and I am sure that we will see an uplift in children’s attainment and their enjoyment as they will be taught in more open and imaginative spaces.”