A WINCHESTER primary school has had a £650,000 makeover as part of a county council scheme to tackle deteriorating buildings.

The revamp of South Wonston Primary School included a replacement roof, re-cladding exterior walls with brick and new triple-glazed windows and doors.

Potentially lethal asbestos was stripped from the school when pupils and staff were absent at weekends and school holidays.

Delighted headteacher Jane Bundy said: “We now have a modern-looking building and improved energy efficiency.”

Mrs Bundy said major improvements included a new roof with sky lights over a walkway connecting two sides of the school.

She said: “Previously the walkway was either uncomfortably hot or freezing cold. Having builders on site during term time was a daunting thought but turned out to be a very positive experience.”

Builders Morgan Sindall, who took about six months to complete the work, spoke in assemblies about safety on a building site and organised competitions. St Margaret’s Church – which the school uses as a hall - was also refurbished.

South Wonston is one of 456 schools of mass-produced SCOLA construction built by the council in the 1960s and ‘70s to deal with the baby boom. They were meant as a temporary measure but are still in use 50 years later.

Repairs across the county have included installation of steel wall tiles to secure masonry panels and safety clips to stop windows falling off their hinges.

As previously reported, council managers warned of a “maintenance time bomb” that would cost a £195m to defuse.