Education chiefs are backing a £1.75m plan to replace a crowded Mid Sussex primary school.

Wivelsfield Primary School, in Church Lane, has outgrown its half-acre site and more than half its 118 pupils are taught in 30-year-old "temporary" classrooms.

Plans are in the pipeline to build a new campus on land donated to the school by 87-year-old Joan Penfold, who was appalled by the cramped conditions.

Education bosses have today pledged to make raising cash for a new primary school a priority.

Campaigners have welcomed the announcement by East Sussex County Council that it will put the scheme forward in an application for Government grants later this year.

Mrs Penfold, who lived in the village for 22 years, is a major shareholder of The Penfold Trust, which offered the land free to the county council.

Experts are now assessing whether the 3.2-acre site at Abbotsleigh, between Downsview Drive and North Common Road, will make the grade.

Marion Whear, chairman of the governors, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to design and build a state-of-the-art school that all involved can be proud of.

"We are delighted the county council is giving this gift of land the serious consideration it deserves and we will be doing everything we can to make sure the plans come to fruition as quickly as possible."

The county council has long recognised the need for a replacement school but says it still needs to find £1.75m to build new premises. It hopes to meet this cost through the Government's New Deal for Schools programme.

The governors also hope to get national lottery money for new sports facilities.

Mrs Whear said: "We have just completed an application process but unfortunately we were unsuccessful on that occasion.

"However, in the course of compiling the bid we discovered more than a dozen local groups and sporting clubs who would be interested in using a sports hall so we think that is a good base to make another application, perhaps under a different scheme, in the near future."