NEW sports facilities are to be built at an East Yorkshire school for private and state pupils to share thanks to a newly-announced Government grant.

Pocklington Montessori School has been awarded £26,000 for new pitches and coaching, which will be available for pupils at nearby Warter CE Primary School to use for free.

Montessori owner Rosie Pressland said the development would also be open to children from the whole area through after-school, weekend and holiday schemes.

The money was granted as part of a Government scheme to encourage partnerships between independent and state schools and was one of four schemes in Yorkshire and the Humber to win cash.

Mrs Pressland said the new pitches should be ready by September.

They will be marked out for netball, basketball, tennis and football and will be small-scale to suit the young sportsmen and women.

Qualified coaches will also be taken on to work with the children.

She said: "The idea is that it will be engendering talent. As well as getting children off the sofa and away from their computers and TV sets, it will be giving them the very best training and sports facilities and ensuring their talent comes to the fore."

She said the school and Warter School had a long-standing friendship.

"Our ethos is mirrored by theirs in many ways and we have a great deal of respect for each other."

Malcolm Appleby, head teacher at Warter, said: "It's excellent news for our pupils. We've got a large field and our kids get a lot of sport already - it is one of our priorities. We see this as developing that even further."

They will be able to use the small scale pitches and courts at the Montessori School and will have access to qualified coaches who will be available during the day, helped by early years teachers.

There will also be after-school and holiday clubs offering provision all year round.

The Montessori School's new skate park has attracted hundreds of visitors since it opened and won the runner-up award for the most creative childcare facility in the UK.

Updated: 11:46 Thursday, July 05, 2001