A Helston headteacher has vowed to continue the fight for a new school building, despite fears the project may have been sidelined.

Staff and governors at St Michael's School were hoping to replace their "tatty old school" with a brand new building as part of Government plans to re-build or refurbish 50 per cent of all primary schools over the next ten years.

But it now appears a scheme to merge two rural primaries near Helston and create a new school in their place may have put paid to St Michael's' aspirations.

St Michael's headteacher Christine Macfarlane, who took over as head last September, said conditions in some parts of the school were "grim".

She said: "We have problems with asbestos in the ceilings, toilets that need replacing and windows that don't fit. This winter we have had children sitting in classrooms in their coats with the wind coming through the windows.

"The building is costing us an arm and a leg and it is just not cost-effective to try to keep on top of things. It is throwing good money after bad."

Mrs Macfarlane said headteachers in the Helston and Lizard area had agreed a new build for St Michael's, as well as refurbishing Nansloe and Porthleven schools, should be the priority put forward for the area for Cornwall's Primary Strategy for Change.

But she said it appeared a scheme to merge Boskenwyn and Trannack schools and build a new small school on an as yet unspecified site near Helston had instead found favour with county officials.

Mrs Macfarlane said a new building on part of the existing site at St Michael's would reap many benefits, not only for the school itself but also for the thriving Lizard CHILD Trust nursery based in temporary buildings on the site.

If the proposal went ahead, the nursery, which is full and has a lengthy waiting list, was hoping to move into the vacated infant building at St Michael's.

Other potential benefits could include moving the school entrance away from its current residential setting to Clodgey Lane and freeing up space on the site for wider community use.

Mrs Macfarlane said: "It would make a huge difference to us, but it would also benefit many other people. This is a wonderful school, with a good reputation, and it is worth fighting for.

"They are building a lot of new housing in Helston but people are not going to want to send their children to a tatty old school that is falling to bits. At some point, somebody is going to have to do something about this school.

"We don't want to suggest anything that would mean closing anybody else's school, but it is my job to do the best for the children here and they need a new school."

Mrs Macfarlane is due to meet with Cornwall county council assistant director of education Helen Williams later this month to discuss the situation.

Mrs Williams was unavailable for comment yesterday.