Sixty youngsters, aged four and five, have just moved into new, well-equipped, classrooms in Harrogate with the help of Homeowners Friendly Society.

The organisation donated £500 to Oatlands County Infant School to help fund the building of two new classrooms for its reception classes at its site in Hookstone Road.

Oatlands needs to raise funds to fill the £12,000 gap between a grant given by the Department for Education and Employment and the £160,000 cost of the new facilities.

There is another £5,000 to go and the school is appealing to other businesses to follow Homeowners' lead.

About 220 pupils aged between four and seven attend the school which was earlier this month named in the Ofsted annual report as one of the most successful in the country.

Amy Brown, campaign manager for protection at Homeowners said: "We're delighted to have helped and wish Oatlands School every success in raising the funds it still needs to find."

Head teacher, Mrs Janet Davis said: "We are very grateful to Homeowners. The donation has helped us to move our reception classes from a Victorian environment to truly 21st century surroundings."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.