TEN schools are set to share in a £100million bonanza which will see a new lease of life given to outdated classrooms.

Education bosses at Lancashire County Council said they had ‘hit the jackpot’ for a second time as part of the government Building Schools for the Future plan.

Four years ago, £250m was secured to rebuild several Burnley and Pendle schools.

The latest round of funding, announced yesterday, will see schools in Colne, Barnoldswick, Haslingden and Hyndburn benefit.

Headteachers and governors can now draw up shopping lists for their own projects, which include new classroom blocks, ICT and arts rooms and dining facilities.

And it is hoped the announcement will provide a boost for the ailing building industry.

Janet Walsh, headteacher at Colne’s Primet High, said she was delighted by the money.

She said: “We hope to use the funding to improve our science facilities as part of our bid for specialist science college status.

“We are also planning to further develop our links with the local community and there are some interesting plans in the pipeline for us to work more closely with Primet Primary and Pendle View Special School.”

Chris Bohills, of Fisher More high school, in Colne, said: “We are delighted to be part of the BSF building project in Lancashire and look forward to providing our students with facilities suitable for a first class education in the 21st century.”

Katrina Ryan, headteacher at Mount Carmel RC High, Accrington, is hoping for a £10million share of the cash and wants to see new classrooms and offices as well as a new dining room built there, alongside extensive refurbishments of current buildings.

Miss Ryan said: "We are ecstatic that the funding has been approved because it will make a wonderful difference to our school.”

Bob Flood, head at Rishton’s Norden High said the news was a “fantastic boost” and he hoped to improve sports facilities at the school, used by the community at night.

He said: “There are also parts of the school that neeed to be redeveloped, including temporary buildings that have been in place for more than 30 years.”

Other schools set to benefit include Park High in Colne, West Craven Technology College at Barnoldswick, Haslingden High and the nearby Tor View special school.

Only 12 local authority areas, including Lancashire, succeeded in the latest round of £1billion-plus ‘phase four’ BSF spending.

County schools cabinet member Coun Susie Graham said: “This announcement is great news and will enable us to finish the job we have started in the east of the county.”

Announcing the funding Tim Byles, chief executive of the Partnership for Schools, the government agency responsible for managing the scheme, praised the Lancashire bid.

He said the county council was “ready to hit the ground running” with their schools renewal projects.

Mr Byles said: “As well as delivering the new schools facilities that teachers and pupils deserve to every community, BSF will also help safeguard tens of thousands of jobs on the ground in the construction and related industries.”