CHILDREN of Husthwaite Church of England Primary School can't wait to use their new state-of-the-art library, which should be in use by the end of term. And once it opens, they won't need to worry about losing their library cards.

When a pupil wishes to borrow a book, he or she will simply place their thumb onto a machine, which recognises their individual thumbprint.

This highly-advanced system is just one of several new developments which have taken place at Husthwaite over the last year.

In addition to the new library, which incorporates an ICT suite, the school has had a new classroom and playground built. Head teacher Stuart Outram has also had a new office built, with an additional group-teaching area next to it.

The library was one of five built in primary schools across the country as part of the STAR scheme (short for Shall They All Read) - the brainchild of educationalist Sir Christopher Ball.

The idea behind the scheme was to develop a blueprint for the ideal primary school. Husthwaite was chosen as the rural school by Sir Christopher, who has an affinity with the village as he was evacuated there during the Second World War. Once up and running, the library will be open to other primary schools to visit.

Mr Outram said: "The library has become a real focus for us over the last year. It will provide a quality environment for the children. They are really excited about it, especially when it comes to using the new thumbprint system. I think it will encourage them to get more books out."

The library will also be available to local interest groups such as the history and gardening societies.

When it is officially opened by the Archbishop of York at the end of May, it will represent the culmination of months of hard work by people connected with the school. As much as £50,000 had to be raised internally, with the Friends of Husthwaite School playing a predominant role. Fundraising events included a sale of framed artwork by every schoolchild, which was opened by celebrity author Hannah Hauxwell, a rubber duck race and a sponsored walk.

The remaining £150,000 needed to build the library came from grants - from Sir Christopher Ball himself, the Esmee Fairburn Trust and the LEA - and additional school funds.

Along with the library, the new classroom for year three and four pupils has been cause for celebration. Previously, they were based in the school hall, which meant they had to put chairs and tables up and down three times a day. Now, they are the proud inhabitants of a brand new room, complete with swivel chairs, computers and big windows overlooking the new playground.

The new rooms have certainly eased congestion - the school was built 26 years ago to cater for 70 children. But it has since almost doubled its numbers to 135, though this includes an additional nursery class. The school runs three buses to bring up to 70 of its pupils from a catchment area stretching over five miles away, including the villages of Raskelf, Coxwold, Oldstead, Oulston and Carlton Husthwaite.

Aside from the exciting recent developments, there is a positive style of teaching at the school. A special assembly is held every Friday, in which children, who have done some particularly good work, have the opportunity to share it with the rest of the school. Their pictures are taken and put up on display the following week. Children are also awarded merit certificates for good work - a gold one entitles them to a book token.

The school's ethos was outlined by Mr Outram. "We try to create a happy, caring, supportive atmosphere where the children feel valued. We have a hardworking staff who think a lot about the children. The emphasis is on positive re-enforcement. We focus on the good things."

The school's latest Key Stage Two results certainly make impressive reading. It achieved a 100pc pass-rate (level four and above) at maths and English, and a 95pc pass-rate at science. Last June, it was also awarded a Basic Standards Quality Mark.

The school's nursery, headed by Mrs Lesley Foster, is a valuable asset to the school. She said it was really important in helping young children make the difficult transition to main school.

Once a month, the nursery holds a toddler day, when mums can bring their children in, who are below nursery age, to help them get a feel of things. Mrs Shipley brings her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter on a regular basis. She was full of praise for the nursery, especially the toddler days. "On toddler days, my daughter is always waiting near the door at 8am with her coat on. She can't wait to come," Mrs Shipley said.

Toddler days often have a theme to them, giving the youngsters a chance to dress up as hairdressers, vets - the nursery once had a visit from a member of the Vets in Practice team - and doctors. Mrs Shipley said children found the sessions stimulating and that she herself took ideas away from the nursery.

On the extra-curricular front, Mr Outram reeled off a whole host of clubs and teams that children can get involved in - netball, football, French club, numbers club, dance club, technology club.

Life is certainly never dull at Husthwaite Primary School.

Updated: 12:39 Thursday, January 24, 2002