A school for children with special educational needs and disabilities in Nailsea is hoping to raise £2million for a new sports hall.

Ravenswood School's sports hall is no longer fit for purpose due to its increasing number of pupils.

Governors believe a new facility is vital to enable the children to continue to thrive.

Mike Evans, chairman of governors at Ravenswood School, said: "The children have expressed a desire for more physical activities.

"The school does its best to provide a stimulating environment but the school hall, due to age and the growing population, has become an area that is no longer fit for purpose.

"Even with these limited facilities, the school has seen great success with supporting pupils' all round development through providing a physical and practical curriculum.

"The school now wishes to develop for the future.

"We have identified that building a new sports hall would be key to this continued success for our pupils and would also benefit the wider curriculum."

The school, in Pound Lane, is place-funded for 108 pupils, but due to high demand it has 116.

Ravenswood School has received a gold School Games Mark for the past three years - highlighting its commitment to the development of competition across the school.

It was also invited to take part in the platinum award this year, due to its continued success.

Mr Evans stressed the enhanced provision for pupils would have a number of benefits including 'a new sports facility for the school and potentially the local community'.

Governors believed it would help the school to develop more links with the community and support people's understanding of disabilities.

Better facilities would 'develop pupils' skills further in a wider variety of sports and fitness activities'.

The enhanced sports provision could also create work experience opportunities for pupils and the wider community within the leisure industry.

Mr Evans added: "The governors hold the realistic view that funding from the local authority would not, in the present climate, be forthcoming and have therefore determined to raise the (approximately) £2million for the project."