FOR months, these children have been without a playground as a new school hall is being built on the space they used to play in.

Launton Primary School, in Launton, near Bicester, will have a brand new hall come September – but at the moment they have no outdoor play areas except for an empty field, and no money to fill the new hall with sporting equipment.

The school is one of five chosen as finalists in our Olympic-themed Save Our Schools competition.

The Oxford Mail has teamed up for the second time with Abingdon construction company Leadbitter to offer one lucky primary school up to £7,500 worth of sporting improvements, this year inspired by the 2012 Olympics.

Year One teacher Mandy Terry, who is in charge of the school’s outdoor curriculum, is hoping Launton will collect the most tokens and win money for indoor and outdoor apparatus and climbing equipment.

She said: “We have a field at the back of our school, but any sign of moisture and it gets all boggy – and it is just a bare field.

“We want to have some climbing apparatus, which would mean the children could be inventive and make up their own games.”

She said children from Year Five and Year Six wrote letters to support the application and went through catalogues to choose the type of equipment they would buy.

Mrs Terry said: “It would make them want to be outside and be active. That is the start of training Olympians, you need to have that desire to be physical and active.”

Leadbitter regional director Richard Nixon said: “I thought the children from all the schools had spent a lot of time considering their applications.

“There were a lot of personal letters, pictures and drawings supporting the applications.

“They had put a lot of thought into putting their bids forward.”

The other four finalists are New Marston in Oxford, Kingfisher School in Abingdon, Wheatley Primary, and Edith Moorhouse in Carterton.

Each of the school’s proposals are being highlighted in the Oxford Mail, with special tokens printed alongside each story.

Schools need to collect as many tokens as possible then send them to us before the campaign ends.

The tokens will be weighted according to the size of the school to ensure the contest is fair.

If readers are inspired by the schemes, they can send their Oxford Mail tokens to the schools.

  • HERE are the finalists and the addresses where you can send vouchers:

Kingfisher School, Abingdon – garden makeover. Kingfisher School, Radley Road, Abingdon, OX14 3RR

New Marston Primary School, Oxford – sports equipment and a sports hall revamp. New Marston Primary School, Copse Lane, Headington, Oxford, OX3 0AY

Launton Primary School – indoor and outdoor apparatus and climbing equipment. Launton Primary School, Bicester Road, Launton, OX26 5DP

Wheatley Primary School – new changing rooms and sports equipment. Wheatley Primary School, Littleworth Road, Wheatley, OX33 1NN

Edith Moorhouse School, Carterton – upgrade activity centre and adventure playground. Edith Moorhouse Primary School, Lawton Avenue, Carterton, OX18 3HP