A CRAMPED special school has received a boost from South Wales East AM Michael German in its bid for up to £700,000 to improve its facilities.

Mr German visited Crownbridge Special School in Sebastopol, Pontypool, on a fact-finding trip to discuss the lack of space at the school.

He was joined by Councillor John Cunningham and Councillor John Turner, executive member for education.

Mr German said: "The headteacher and staff are doing a brilliant job with children of all sorts of special needs, but the school itself is too cramped for the work they do.

"I am convinced this is a really worthy project and I am hoping that Torfaen council will put it at the top of their list. I am working at my hardest at the Assembly to make sure as much money as possible goes into school buildings."

Crownbridge headteacher Rob Phillips said: "Like any other school, we have curriculum issues, but we have other issues as well to do with specialist therapy and the developmental curriculum.

"Because of the numbers of children here, some of whom have specialist equipment, the space in which the visiting physiotherapists have to work is limited.

"We are a small school with 73 pupils and a significant number may bring up to four pieces of specialist equipment - a standing frame, walking frame, wheelchair or special chair for the classroom - which take up a lot of room.

"We also have problems accommodating some of the children the local education authority would like us to accommodate."

Mr Phillips said the school was in negotiations with Torfaen council's director of education, Mike de Val, about the feasibility of phasing in funding to address the problems.

Work to expand the school could cost between £100,000 and £700,000 and the authority hopes to find the money to carry out the most urgent work immediately, before phasing in other developments later.

Mr De Val said: "We recognise the resource constraints on Crownbridge School, which are real."

* In the picture: Mike German AM watches as nine-year-old Ieuan Price enjoys the swimming pool with instructor Angela Bath.