ONE of South Lakeland’s smallest primary schools is set to almost double in size with the addition of an extension.

A glazed extension to the main entrance of Dean Barwick school at Witherslack will add an additional space for Key Stage one and nursery pupils to use.

“We are a tiny school with only two classrooms and when we want to do ‘one on one’ work with the pupils we’ve really struggled,” said head teacher Linda Graves. “We have to use the kitchen or staffroom and we’ve even held group work in a car before!”

“This will be the first extension to the school since it was built in 1874 so it’s definitely about time.”

Builders have started work on the £175,000 project and Mrs Graves hopes the extension will be ready to use by January 2011.

“The news that we had funding for the building couldn’t have come at a better time, we have expanded our nursery provision to take in three-year-olds and our Key Stage one pupils really needed more space so they can play in outdoor weather,” she said.

The school, which only has 26 pupils, still needs to raise 10 per cent of the total cost and have a year of fund-raising events. A recent duck race on the River Winster raised £1,200.

Plans were mooted four years ago but were stalled when the school ran out of time on planning permission and had to re-apply to the Lake District National Park Authority.

Permission has now been granted a second time after the school was asked to come up with a design more in keeping with the Victorian exterior of the school.