One of Winchester's schools has taken extra-curricular activity to the extreme with its bid to raise £100,000 in a year.

The ambitious total has been set to enable Western Primary School to build a music and drama room and improve IT facilities.

Since governors at the school launched the appeal in May, it has gone from strength to strength and already stands at £32,000.

Julie Wells, chairman of the school's millennium appeal, says most of the money has come from pupils' families and the community.

"Now we are throwing the net wider by approaching businesses and trusts in a bid to boost funds," she added.

The school is also putting on a variety of fund-raising events, including a grand auction and dinner in February and a concert next summer at Winchester College.

One of the first fund-raisers saw the school's local church prove just how generous it could be by sharing the proceeds of its annual Neighbourhood Festival.

St Paul's Church invited the Browning Drive school to join in the event to help boost the appeal. The church has already donated £500 to the fund.

The joint effort ensured the festival was the best yet, with even more sideshows, stalls and entertainment.

Despite the disappointing weather, the event total was almost double last year's, with around £1,400 raised, half of which will go towards the appeal.

Said Mrs Wells: "It was very generous of St Paul's to support our appeal by asking us to join in with this established event.

"We are a church school and have close ties to St Paul's so we were delighted that the church supported us in this way.

"We hope it will inspire other organisations to follow suit. We have only a relatively short time to raise the £100,000 and for this appeal to be a real success we need the local community and especially businesses behind us.

"That's what will make a real difference."

Inadequate facilities for music and drama and information technology were two areas highlighted for attention in the school's last Ofsted report.

Music is taught in a windowless room and there is no designated space for drama. The school's IT suite is currently housed in a conservatory area designed for group activities such as craft and cookery. In bad weather the conservatory leaks--despite continual maintenance--meaning rain literally stops play!

Western's head teacher, Eddie Woodnutt, said it would be "fantastic" for the school to be able to offer the children proper facilities for music and drama.

He added that the "right and proper" emphasis on the core subjects of literacy and numeracy had taken its toll on the arts in schools.

"Top-class facilities for music, drama and IT will help us enormously in providing an enriched curriculum capturing pupils' interest and developing them as individuals," he said.

He, too, praised St Paul's Church for showing its support for the appeal.

"It is marvellous to know the local community is behind us," he added.

The new facilities are not the only changes in the pipeline for the school.

The county council has already secured funding for two new classrooms, with building work due to get under way next Easter.

The school's governing body hopes its building work will run alongside the county's to minimise the disruption to pupils and staff.

As well as providing proper facilities, for music and drama lessons, the new room--which will be built onto the existing school hall--will also boast large acoustic doors.

When these doors are opened, the room will serve as an extension to the hall, providing more space for assemblies and performances.

If you would like to learn more about the appeal or would like to make a donation, ring 01962-853741.