A NEW £660,000 classroom being built at St James CE primary school, Haslingden, will help bridge the gap for nursery school children.

It will allow three and four year olds moving from nursery to reception classes to mix with older pupils for play and learn sessions.

It is thought to be the first foundation classroom in the area.

A moveable partition, separating the nursery unit from the new room will be drawn back for shared activities between part-time nursery pupils and full-time reception class children.

The reception class will be the main users of the new facility. Their existing classroom will then be freed up to provide teaching space for an infant class, presently housed in the junior section.

Work on the building, which fills in an existing garden area, should be completed by the end of March.

Action for Haslingden has contributed £20,000 towards the project. Funding has also come from Lancashire County Council education authority, school governors and the school's own budget.

Head teacher John Nuttall, said: "Without the support of Action for Haslingden we could not have gone ahead with this or other initiatives at St James, which have all contributed to the improved achievements of our children."