A PRIMARY school which has become ’the victim of its own success’ has been granted planning permission for a temporary classroom.

Menheniot Primary School says it had a bid for funding for a permanent building declined, so it applied to Cornwall Council requesting temporary building tpermission for a temporary structure to cope with rising numbers of children who want places.

The school said it had been a victim of its own success after achieving the top rating from school inspectors which had attracted children from a wider area.

Plans to build an extra permanent classroom were on hold, the school said, because the council had declined to provide funding.

A design and access statement submitted with the planning application states: ’Menheniot Primary School was designated to accommodate a planned admission number of 147 in six classrooms, but being rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted for a number of years, children from surrounding areas such as Looe and Liskeard are now coming to the school because of its reputation and the current pupil numbers now stand at 164 and rising.

’Some two to three years ago the school decided that they needed to build an additional classroom to accommodate the increase in pupil numbers and approached Cornwall Council education department for funding. Despite strenuous efforts and lengthy negotiations the council declined to fund the needed classroom.

’The school has now decided that as a temporary measure they would purchase a mobile classroom unit. The idea being that if and when Cornwall Council agree to fund an extension to the school they would then sell on the classroom unit.’

The statement says the classroom is likely to be used by older children and is a one-room classroom with  a flat roof.

In addition the school is planning to cover a small outside area and use it as a “one-to-one” teaching area.

An outside teaching area is also being planned for the school with a fabric canopy being used to provide shelter.

Cornwall Council has agreed to grant planning permission for the development.

By Richard Whitehouse, local democracy reporter