YOUNGER pupils at St Peter and St Paul Primary School at Yalding, near Maidstone, will be getting a breath of fresh air while they have their lessons, if a plan to build an outdoor classroom is given the go ahead.

The school has applied to create a reception play area and an outdoor classroom to give youngsters in the Foundation Stage, which covers reception and Year 1, the chance to learn outdoors.

The plans, which have been drawn up the Babtie Group and have been submitted to Maidstone council for consultation, include extending an area of tarmac next to the reception classroom.

A rural area behind the school, which is already lawned and has several trees on it, would have new benches and a sitting area for pupils to have lessons. There will also be a stage-like area, here the children could take part in role play.

The changes have been proposed to allow for the new curriculum for the foundation stage, which asks for pupils to be able to move smoothly between indoor classrooms and outdoors for their development.

Head teacher Glynis Coates said the planned play areas would be an improvement to the current playgrounds, which had space, but lacked some of the equipment needed for the new curriculum.

"We are lucky that we have this area of land which we can do this on and are just hoping we get planning permission for it," she said.

"We already have a grassed area and want to develop that further so we can provide the sort of area that the children need for the foundation stage. It will make a lot of difference and mean that they can do a lot more outside, but in an enclosed area."

The school will pay for some of the changes with a £8,000 grant from Kent County Council, which it received in July.

The school recently also received an improvement grant from the council, which will pay for three new classrooms.