Youngsters at a Burley-in-Wharfedale school are making Christmas special for children in Africa with the gift of a classroom.

Staff and pupils at Burley Oaks School were aiming to raise an ambitious £1,700 to buy a classroom from the Oxfam Unwrapped catalogue to help children in an African village. And after a mere ten days they raised not just the amount they were aiming for but an extra £200 on top.

The total figure of £1,915 has amazed head teacher Roy Pallas, who had described the original target as ambitious'. He said he was staggered by the generosity shown and he thanked all those who had supported the fund-raising campaign.

"I just think that the generosity and support of everyone involved has been absolutely over-whelming. It has really caught people's imaginations. Children have been selling toys and emptying their piggybanks."

The appeal is the latest and most ambitious Christmas fund-raising effort by the school which has supported different children's charities every year since it opened.

Last year, together with parents, it raised an impressive £1,238 for Barnardo's. And this year it aimed to top even that. According to Oxfam, £1,700 will allow it to provide walls, windows, lights, blackboards, desks, chairs and safe water'.

The school raised the massive sum in a number of ways, including one event in which the children are being asked to fill Africa' by putting coins on to a large silhouette of the continent.

The coffers were also boosted with collections at the Christmas concert, and a series of bun sales and non-uniform days. Staff were also asked to donate money instead of buying Christmas cards for each other.

In a letter to parents Mr Pallas described the project as worthwhile and exciting' and said: "This is a really ambitious project, but we feel that it is important to encourage our children to think about helping other children less fortunate than themselves, particularly at this time of the year."

And bearing in mind the scale of the task, he added: "I don't want to talk in negative terms, but should we fail to reach our very challenging target, the Oxfam catalogue is full of many, less expensive gifts that we could buy."

But now not only is the school able to present a cheque to Oxfam, it will also give the balance to Ilkley Rotary Club for it own fundraising work to help villages in Africa.