PRINCETOWN Primary School's delapidated Horsa hut, constructed 'temporarily' 50 years ago, looks likely to be demolished and replaced with a new building.
A kitchen/dining room will be built at the school with cash from the government's New Deal for Schools Programme — the allocations to Devon County Council were announced by education and employment secretary David Blunkett on Tuesday.
Princetown Primary headteacher Lynne Louden said: 'We're absolutely thrilled at the news and we are very excited about the provision of much improved and refurbished accommodation and facilities.'
She said the Horsa hut was in very poor condition, with rain leaking through the roof and paint flaking off within weeks of being applied.
'Psychologically it's a great boost for the school and well deserved.
'It will be brilliant to see the old hut go — I am hoping to knock down the first brick myself!'
Princetown School is one of those listed as priority cases, in the county's bid for improvement cash.
Another New Deal project approved is improved fire precaution measures in the IT and Home Economics departments at Tavistock College.
Cash has also been earmarked for a new heating system at Lydford Primary School and replacement of defective windows at Bere Alston Primary.
The county council submitted its bid for funding earlier this year after close consultation with headteachers and governors and a detailed assessment of the most urgent work.
Dr Philip Norrey, deputy director of education, arts and libraries, said it was 'tremendous news' for Devon.
'We had concerns, obviously, that the government might allocate funding simply according to pupil numbers or cherry-pick schemes from our list.
'In the end, however, the arguments we put forward were too compelling to ignore.'
Councillors will be asked to approve match funding, where required, for New Deal-supported projects at the county council's education committee meeting on April 27.
It is hoped the majority of the county's building schemes will take place this summer.