A village school founded 125 years ago is being doubled in size to turn its Victorian buildings into a 21st century learning centre.

Original buildings at Sandy Lane Primary School dating from 1876 will still be used for lessons.

But seven new classrooms, a new school hall, changing rooms, a library and a kitchen are being added.

Excited pupils and teachers - who are temporarily at Cottingley Primary School's old site two miles away - are watching the progress of the building work with interest.

The transformation is part of the massive Bradford Schools Reorganisation programme.

Bradford Council's managing partner, Bovis Lend Lease, must see that £171 million of building work is completed on 150 schools by September 2002.

Sheila Venables, head teacher at Sandy Lane Primary School, said: "The governors are pleased that the work has started on schedule. All the staff, pupils and parents are looking forward to returning to the school in February and are eagerly watching the building progress."

The school left the Sandy Lane premises in April to set up camp temporarily in the neighbouring village of Cottingley.

"It's worked as well as could be expected, with one or two hiccups, and everyone has been very co-operative," Mrs Venables said. "Our school won't be recognisable when the work is finished. All the classrooms will be in one building."

For the first time, all 305 pupils will be able to fit into the new school hall together for assemblies.

And a new feature - agreed in the plans by the governors - will be a separate courtyard play area for the school's nursery children.

Mrs Venables toured the building site with some of her pupils to check on the progress and was impressed with what she found. "They have got the foundations in and the new extension is up to floor level," she said. "We are really looking forward to getting back there."

The old part of the school had separate classrooms for infants and juniors but probably catered for less than 100 youngsters, she said. The original building also had a billiard room, which will remain under the new plans.

"That will become a group room and staff room, but we certainly won't be having a pool table in there," Mrs Venables said.

Phil Wakefield, Bovis Lend Lease project executive, said: "This project presented challenges in terms of access and design." The building follows the slope of a hill in two directions.