INFANT and primary schools in Winsford and Middlewich are to benefit from a substantial cash injection from Westminster.

The Government has announced that Cheshire County Council is to receive more than £2 million to boost its education facilities.

The money will pay for more teachers to be brought in to the county's schools and will also help to reduce class sizes to no more than 30 pupils.

According to the Government figures, £1.37 million will be spent on extra teaching staff from this September, while a further £1 million will fund the construction of new classrooms across the county.

Education chiefs at County Hall were delighted by the Government's announcement.

Cty Clr Derek Bateman, the council leader, said that the £1.37 million allocation would be the equivalent of 94 extra teachers working in Cheshire's schools.

He added: "There is no statutory requirement to achieve the classroom figure until September 2001, but it is expected that the additional revenue funding will enable our schools to achieve that target well before that date.

"That must be excellent news for everyone who has the best interests of children's education at heart."

The county council has put together a plan - in consultation with headteacher representatives - which calculates the number of infant classes needed at any school in order to keep class sizes to 30 or below, and tops up the school's budget to ensure that it can afford the appropriate number of teachers.

Commenting on the £1 million allocated towards additional classrooms, Cty Clr Bateman said: "It will go some way towards meeting our class size accommodation needs.

"It is not enough to achieve everything we would want in one year but it will certainly make a difference, and the county council will now be deciding how best to use its money."

Cheshire's cash boost is part of a £30 million package for the north west announced by the Government.

Education Secretary David Blunkett said that the Government is determined to honour its pledge that no pupils will be taught in classes of more than 30 by September 2001.

He added: "This is good news for thousands of schools, parents, teachers and pupils.

"The Government's aim is to ensure high standards of education in all schools, and limiting infant class sizes is a key part of that."

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