WORK to improve science laboratories at Ludlow School is set to begin.

It is part of a package of nearly £500,000 is to be spent on improving schools in Ludlow and Cleobury Mortimer.

The money that ranges from £210,000 to £60,000 has been allocated by Shropshire Council and will be spent over the next three years.

The biggest beneficiary is Ludlow School, which four years ago missed out on a major rebuild when the coalition Government pulled the plug on the plans.

The £210,000 will be spent on a refurbishment of the science classrooms at the school.

Headteacher Phil Poulton said that the work is needed and will begin during the Easter holidays with the refurbishment of one of three science labs to be improved.

The project will involve new work benches and seating as well as a new gas and electricity supply as well as general redecoration.

It will all be completed in time for the start of the next school year in September.

It is good news for Ludlow School that dates back half a century.

The school that has 734 pupils has been designated a specialist technology and sports college and had its best ever exam results in 2013 when it was the most improved school in Shropshire in terms of the achievement of five passes at grade A-C including mathematics and English.

Most improved school is an accolade that has gone to Ludlow School four times in the past seven years.

The release of the funds to improve the science facilities comes less than a year after the school celebrated a major exams success that bucked the national trend.

Phil Poulton said at the time that he was delighted with the results and proud of the students behind a massive improvement in the school’s performance.

Ludlow Primary School will also benefit from an allocation of £60,000 that will be spent on a new lobby and extension of the offices.

Two schools in Cleobury Mortimer will also be improved.

A grant from the Department of Education of £115,000 will be used to refurbish the science labs and classrooms at Lacon Childe School in the town.

Cleobury Mortimer Primary will also be rewired at a cost of £110,000.

Lacon Childe School has seen major expansion in the recent past.

In 2001 it was awarded Specialist Sports College Status.

A year later in 2002 it underwent a major building project due to the growth of the school we now have a new science/technology block, second ICT room, enlarged art room and new accommodation for English, history and learning support.

More recently an extra ICT room has been opened by converting part of the Learning Resource Centre.

The school has more than 500 students and a new headteacher Darren Reynolds who joined last September after the retirement of the long serving head Alan Gilhooley.

All the schools have been allocated the money for the improvements at a time of swingeing public expenditure cuts that mean Shropshire Council is looking to make savings of £80 million on its budget in the next three years.