OLVESTON Primary School, already one of the best in the South West, is set to get even better.

Work is to get underway this summer on a desperately needed new school hall after council chiefs answered appeals for almost £900,000 to fund a unique self-build project.

Parents and governors will take a leading role in overseeing work to replace the school's tiny Victorian hall which has attracted consistent criticism from Ofsted inspectors.

Chairman of governors Helen Webb said: "There will be benefits for the school but community use will also be incorporated.

"We are confident we have access to all the expertise we need and the sooner this gets the go ahead, the sooner schools across South Gloucestershire can learn from the lessons we learn."

She said the lack of a proper hall caused daily problems.

"There is insufficient room for even our youngest pupils and it is very difficult to assemble the whole school in one place. There is a clear impact on pupils' learning."

Businesses and community leaders in Olveston are involved in the £885,000 project - the first school self-build initiative in South Gloucestershire - and backers believe it will encourage similar moves at other schools.

Executive member for education Cllr Sheila Cook told the South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet on Monday that the authority faced a dilemma in sharing out the limited funding of £4.15 million.

"They are all very valid schemes in their own right but the bottom line, for me, is how I would feel about my child going to those schools," she said.

Council leader Neil Halsall said: "This is a continuous process. We are trying to solve as many problems as we can this year but we cannot solve them all."

Earlier this year the Gazette reported how £40 million was needed to bring all South Gloucestershire's schools up to standard.

One of the unlucky candidates was St Helen's Primary Schools in Alveston which lost its £600,000 bid for new buildings to replace temporary accommodation despite an offer of cash help from governors.

Chairman of governors Ashley Hammond said patching up old classrooms was throwing money away.

"Classrooms built in the 1960s are now showing their age and need regular repairs," she said. "The ICT suite is literally rotting away, we have no proper library and the technology area is totally inadequate.

"We want children to be taught in a school fit for the 21st century."