FROXFIELD Primary School is hoping plans for a small wooden library and a yurt on the school grounds will meet with approval.

If East Hampshire District Council planners approve the application, it is hoped that local families with children not yet at school will also use the one story library.

Headteacher Vickie Farrow said: “The yurt, which is being funded through a donation, will be a fantastic quiet space for classes to use for calm activities such as story times, circle times and personal, social and health education.

“After-school clubs such as French and Jackanory will also be able to use it.

“The attractive garden room will provide a much needed space for small group work and will also house our library as currently the school does not have a library space.

“With the school in a rural location with limited public transport, we also hope to provide a pre-school library for our local families.

“Funding avenues through grants are being explored in addition to fundraising by our parent teacher association, the Friends of Froxfield School, and we hope the library and yurt will be available for children to use from September.

“We are very hopeful of receiving planning permission for this exciting development and the chance to further enhance the excellent provision that the school offers.”

The school has grown in size from 34 to 93 pupils in the last four years and due to limited space it has no hall, library or meeting rooms.

Currently, teaching of small groups of children has to take place in the staff room, and this proposal will provide much needed space for the pupils.

The insulated library and the semi-permanent yurt will be put behind the school, and won’t be visible from nearby houses, she added.

The insulated library will be clad in red cedar wood, and the design of the semi-permanent yurt originates from Mongolia where yurts were used by migratory herdsmen to house their families.