Primary schools across East Sussex are celebrating today after receiving a cut of a multi-million pound grant.

East Sussex County Council secured a grant worth £1.7 million, which will go towards improving the provision of sport and art.

West Rise Infant and Junior Schools, in Eastbourne, will be awarded £499,000 each.

Meanwhile, Castledown Community Primary and Nursery School, Hastings, gets £435,000, St Paul's Primary School, St Leonards, will receive £445,000 and Marshlands Primary School, Hailsham, gets £319,000.

Claire Ockwel, headteacher of Castledown Community and Nursery School, said: "We are very excited about it and we are hoping the work will start later this year.

"They are going to build a community arts centre which will involve a dance studio, a large community room and two teaching rooms. It was quite a lot of work applying for it and we did surveys of the area to find out what the need was."

The awards were part of a £130 million programme called Space for Sports and Arts, which aims to improve education facilities and provide better access for local communities to sports and art.

More than 300 primary schools across the country will benefit from the scheme, which targets areas of deprivation.

Teachers at Langney Primary School have decided to put the grant towards building a music and performing arts hall, two group rooms, dressing rooms, a sound suite/projection room, storage and office space.

Pupils at Marshlands School will have a single-story extension to house an arts studio, IT design facility and gallery area which will double as a meeting space.

West Rise Infants headteacher Linda Morris said: "We are delighted. It's going to be a joint venture between the junior and infant school.

"Not only does it give us a good community facility and new facility for the children, it also frees up space within the school, which is really important. It will be an extra hall in the school for drama and dance."

Rupert Simmons, county council Cabinet member for education, said: "We are absolutely delighted.

"These facilities will support the teaching of the arts and physical education, enhance the out-of-schools hours learning programme and improve links with local artists and sports groups.

"The Local Education Authority is committed to supporting schools to be at the heart of their communities and this programme will generate a wave of enthusiasm among pupils, teaching staff, parents and the local communities of the five projects concerned."