A SCHOOL will celebrate its 100th birthday with a new playground

Scholes Junior and Infant School was awarded £23,625 towards the expected £35,500 cost of a new multi-use games area by Holme Valley South Area Committee.

Pupils had decided a new games area was what the school most needed.

Currently the school has grass areas which are not suitable for games in wet weather and a tarmac area with a slope which makes ball games difficult.

The 12 by 20 metre play area will accommodate five-a-side football, mini-tennis, cricket and netball.

With the cash from Kirklees Council and £3,000 from Holme Valley Parish Council, three-quarters of the cost has been met.

The school has so far raised around £2,000 for the all-weather area through a sponsored multi-skills day and cake sales.

The play area will be open to community groups and the public via appointment. Hepworth United FC, Underbank Rugby Club and Scholes Brownies have expressed interest.

Deputy headteacher and project co-ordinator Sara Seymour said: “All the children are working really hard to raise the money and support the project.

“Physical education is very important for children and to have something like this in Scholes would be much more productive for everybody.

“We are about children and providing for their future and their health.”

Holme Valley South councillor Ken Sims said: “Children always say they have nothing to do and nowhere to go and there’s not a right lot to do in Scholes.

“I think this would be of value. I’m very happy to say yes to it.”