CREDITON’S Copplestone Primary School is set to receive nearly £200,000 as part of wider investment in schools across Devon.

More than £21million will be invested in schools across Devon after the county council agreed its education capital programme for the next financial year.

The school will receive £195,000 to expand and is one of several major projects for the council.

In all, £11.2million will be spent providing extra places for the expanding number of pupils in Devon, particularly in primary schools.

Also, £10.2million will be spent improving and maintaining accommodation in the county’s schools.

Devon County Council deputy leader John Clatworthy, who is responsible for county council property, said: “This is obviously still a time of serious spending restraint, but I ‘m pleased to be able to deliver a significant economic boost for Devon.

“This is good news for education, our students, teachers and school staff, and for many businesses in the county which will benefit.

“Obviously, hundreds of people in the building trade will be employed on these projects, but there are also the wholesalers and suppliers of all the materials we need.

“Every pound injected into our towns and villages has a knock-on effect for many more businesses.”

Head teacher Stuart Busby said the money will be spent on building a Year One classroom for a growing number of children at the school.

He said: “We delighted at this news – it has been on the horizon for a while, but we’re very grateful.

“A new classroom is needed because our class sizes are getting larger and we’ve increased pupil numbers by nearly 80 in five years.”

Work is expected to start in the summer holidays and be completed by January, 2013.