A primary school targeted by arsonists was expected to reopen today (March 14) after a clean-up by staff and parents.

A fire broke out at Stonesfield Primary School on Saturday, burning out one classroom and damaging several others.

Police investigating the blaze, apparently started when arsonists broke a window and set fire to children's artwork, suspect the culprits were from the village.

Yesterday, teachers and volunteers were busy cleaning smoke-damaged toys and equipment, and setting up a temporary classroom in the school hall.

Headteacher Ed Read said: "It's the main classroom that's been affected. The smoke just went everywhere -- there's a film of soot over everything, so it's a case of cleaning it all and getting it suitable for the children to work with.

"The classroom has been completely gutted, so we need to empty it and start again.

"A lot of people have been phoning up -- they've been very supportive."

Neighbours living near the school in High Street reported smelling smoke at 6.30am and hearing a burglar alarm coming from the building an hour earlier. The fire service was alerted at 9am. Investigators believe the fire had been burning for several hours.

The blaze slowly burned books and chairs and blew out two of the remaining windows, and it took firefighters an hour to extinguish the flames.

Teacher Caroline Debus, who was helping clean up yesterday, said: "The children are going to be very upset about this, especially the class affected, because all their work's gone."

Insp Darren Carver, of Witney police, said: "Someone smashed the window and set fire to some artwork on the window sill.

"We believe that the offender is probably local, and we're appealing for witnesses who saw anyone acting suspiciously."

Oxfordshire Fire Service divisional officer Steve Wain said that following a fire at Marsh Baldon Primary School last year, the county council agreed that automatic fire detection systems should be fitted to new schools, or schools being renovated.

Mr Wain said: "If the Stonesfield school had been fitted with such a system, firefighters would have been alerted much earlier.

"The fire service's advice to all businesses, including schools, is that they should have such a system fitted."

Anyone with information should call Witney police on 08458 505505.