Schools plan new projects with tokens

Schemes to boost the arts for children in Shropshire and Mid Wales could get a cash boost in the Shropshire Star's great Cash 4 Schools campaign.

A number of schools are working on projects aimed at potential writers, musicians, artists and dancers and are now hopeful of winning extra funding to take them forward.

There is a pot of £20,000 up for grabs in the campaign to be split into one £10,000 award and two £5,000 prizes for the successful projects.

The successful schools can choose how to spend the money.

At Harlescott Junior School in Shrewsbury the plan is to buy 18 new computers to help launch a new newspaper.

Nine classes use the computer suite throughout the day but the equipment they work on was last upgraded seven years ago.

Meanwhile Oakmeadow CE Primary School and Nursery in Bayston Hill want to include the purchase of all-weather musical instruments in their bid for the cash.

The school's headteacher Huw Roberts said that the new instruments would form part of a new sensory garden, which will benefit the younger children at the school.

"This planned facility will be particularly important in supporting our early years and special educational needs children," added Mr Roberts.

Highley Primary School, near Bridgnorth, is also among those schools that would use the money, if successful in their bid to win a share of the cash, to buy musical instruments.

Staff would also organise for experienced musicians to visit the school.

Art is on the wall at St Peter's CE Primary School in Wem where they hope to buy arts materials so that pupils can create an art wall in the dining hall to brighten it up.

The team co-ordinating the campaign at St Peter's to collect the tokens also wants to organise dance workshops so that the youngsters can experience different styles from hip-hop to ballroom.

The performing arts are also a key area for the proposed project at Stokesay Primary School in Market Drayton.

Their wish list includes a projector, sound and lighting system for the school hall together with new seating and staging for school productions.