STAFF at a Preston school are celebrating after receiving a £626,000 cash boost to upgrade art and PE facilities.

Work to improve the school's gym, sports hall and changing rooms at Our Lady's RC High School, in St Anthony's Drive, Fulwood, is expected to begin later this year along with renovation work on the art and pottery areas.

It is welcome news for headteacher Tony Greenall who has been at the school for eight years. "The sports hall has been there for about 30 years or more without being touched," he said. "The roof leaks and the heating is not very good. The floor also needs to be improved."

The money is part of a package of government grants to upgrade the county's school buildings. Schools across the county have already benefited from more than £16m of improvements last year with a further £23m still to come.

In Lancashire seven schools with specific building projects have been given the green light by Lancashire Education Authority chiefs, responsible for distributing the funds.

Our Lady's is one of three schools in this area to receive a share of the cash. St Cecilia's, Chapel Hill, Longridge, gets £553,000 for improvements in PE facilities while Archbishop Temple School, St Vincent's Road, Fulwood, is to receive a staggering £912,000 for building work to improve its specialist provision as a technology college.

On top of this cash schools are set to receive a share of more than £9m directly into their budgets, rising to £15m in the next school financial year to assist with their own improvement plans.

A further pot of £2.5m will be available over the next two years for Lancashire schools to bid to for projects on a match funded basis.

County Councillor Alan Whittaker, cabinet member for education and young people, said: "I am delighted that our partnership with schools and church authorities has delivered such startling benefits for Lancashire schools and the LEA will continue to co-ordinate successful future bids."