Kingston Local Education Authority can cross three things off its Christmas list early this year, after receiving nearly £1 million in extra funding.

The news is especially pleasing for Latchmere Infants School, which will now be able to proceed with expansion work that was delayed because of insufficient funding.

Another £303,000 from the New Deals for Schools scheme will be divided out to schools in the borough for repairs, maintenance and other expenditure.

And the Mount Primary School will receive £268,000 of DfES funding to expand its new autism unit.

Councillor Mary Reid, Liberal Democrat spokesman for education, said: The director of education has managed to land us these three extra bits of funding which is great. He has been doing some fantastic work behind the scenes.

Latchmere Infants, in Latchmere Road, Kingston, has to build more classrooms in order to cut class sizes in the borough.

But there was no money for the expansion to take place and it looked as though the whole project might have had to be scrapped until the money was granted by the DfES.

John Braithwaite, director of education, said: The announcement of additional funding is very good news for education in the borough and will be well used.

The council will be considering the allocations for projects under the capital programme, for the next financial year, in January or February, 2002.

The New Deals for Schools money is not earmarked and can therefore be used for repair work, maintenance work or any other expenditure on schools.

By.David Rankin