A PRIMARY school is celebrating after being awarded £30,000 to develop new outdoor sports facilities.

Oxenhope Primary has received the cash as part of Sport England's £18 million National Lottery-financed Primary School Facilities Fund, which is helping schools across the country to provide outdoor multi-activity play areas.

Provision at Oxenhope will include an enclosed ball games area with activity surfacing in the main playground, and an area in the small playground for use by younger children at lunchtimes.

The new facilities will be used by pupils during the day and by the before and after-school club, Oxenhope Explorers.

Headteacher Kathrine Nutting said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for us to have a high-quality sporting arena within school so that children can aspire to be like their sporting heroes in fantastic surroundings.

"As a school we have worked hard on our learning environment both inside and out – as it is a key factor in child development, engagement in learning and having fun – and this improves our environment for sports considerably.

"This will provide a quality and inspiring setting for games to take place in and every class will have a timetabled slot for use during the week, as well as play at lunchtimes and after school."

Nick Bitel, of Sport England, welcomed the cash award.

"Having the right space for playing sport and being physically active as a child is vitally important," he said.

"We are delighted to be investing this funding in Oxenhope Primary School to improve the spaces that will give children the room to enjoy PE and sport. "

Sebastian Coe, the Prime Minister's Olympic and Paralympic legacy ambassador, said such support was invaluable for schools which had limited space for sports activities.

"A positive first experience of PE and sport at primary school is crucial to encouraging young people to be active throughout their lives but for those schools with little or no outside space this can be extremely challenging to deliver," said Lord Coe.

"This funding will provide better outdoor multi-activity play areas at Oxenhope Primary School that can be used both within the curriculum and outside school hours. I am convinced this will boost the opportunities for young people to be physically active."

Work on installing the new facilities is due to be carried out early next month, depending on weather conditions and the availability of components.