CRAVEN'S schools have received more than £1 million to improve facilities.

Temporary classrooms will be replaced, schools made more accessible for disabled pupils and outdated facilities in Victorian buildings will be brought into the 21st century in a major upgrade at six schools.

Aireville School, in Gargrave Road, Skipton, is to receive £350,000 to replace a temporary classroom with a new drama studio.

Headmaster David Croll told the Herald this week that he was absolutely delighted with the news.

"We have had many improvements over the last few years, but were left with one temporary classroom which was being used for drama.

"There are a few specialist areas which still need improving and drama, music and technology were three which we had identified to North Yorkshire County Council.

"We are delighted to find out the temporary classroom will be replaced with a new building for drama which I hope we can also incorporate music use into," he added.

Cracoe and Rylstone Primary School will receive £200,000 for modernisation and alterations.

Headteacher Margaret Taylor said she was very pleased with the award, although it was too early to say exactly how it would be used.

"Our school is in Victorian buildings and there are sketchy plans in place at the moment. It will be used to help improve access to the school," she explained.

Glusburn Primary School is to have a £190,000 extension to its small school hall while Hellifield Primary School will undergo modernisation and remodelling, plus the creation of a new children's centre, which will cost £300,000.

And Ingleton Primary School will get £180,000 to build a classroom extension to cater for a growth in pupil numbers.

The money has come from North Yorkshire County Council's capital planning programme and work will take place over the next three years.

It is in addition to a £1 million investment programme which has been on-going at South Craven School at Cross Hills to provide four new laboratories.

North Yorkshire's education service capital planning manager Richard Allen said: "In previous years we have concentrated on providing new buildings to cope with increased pupil numbers.

"Now rolls have levelled off, we are going to invest in existing facilities to bring them up to date," he added.

In a separate grant, Upper Wharfedale School at Threshfield is to receive £500,000 in lottery funding to create new sports facilities in line with its newly won specialist sports status.

The award will be used to build a new four-court sports hall with changing provision.

It will increase the school's capacity for physical education, improving the quality and quantity of sport on offer.

Activities will include badminton, basketball, cricket practice and physical education.

Headteacher Phil Bennington said: "This is very exciting news. From this September, Upper Wharfedale will become a specialist sports college.

"The new sports hall will enable us to meet our challenging targets.

"We hope it will become a well used and important facility, not just for our pupils, but also for nearby schools and the local community," he added.

The school's 229 pupils will benefit, along with 419 primary school pupils from eight local cluster schools and around 6,650 visits from the local community will also be possible each year.