Parents and headteachers last night welcomed £5m from the Government to kickstart the rebuilding and refurbishment of crumbling primary schools across the county.

During the next three years, more than £32m will be pumped into 18 schools in Oxfordshire under plans approved yesterday by Schools Secretary Ed Balls as part of a £3.55bn national package.

In Oxford, Bayards Hill, Wood Farm and Rose Hill primary schools are all expected to be completely rebuilt.

Bayards Hill chairman of governors Mike Parkinson said: “It’s absolutely brilliant news.

“The school is in definite need of substantial refurbishment and anything that helps provide a better environment for the children’s education is fantastic.”

Bayards Hill parent Lisa Pardy, 41, from Barton, added: “It’s a very good thing – we have been waiting a very long time now. The sooner the better.

“The facilities at the school aren’t too bad, but the building looks awful.”

Wood Farm headteacher David Lewin and Rose Hill headteacher Sue Mortimer were unavailable for comment last night, but Mr Lewin told the Oxford Mail in June the school buildings had reached the end of their natural life.

He said: “We’re looking for a school building that gives us the flexibility to work with individual pupils and small groups, as well as state-of-the-art classrooms.”

Some of the money could be used to put SS Mary and John Primary School – which has two sites in East Oxford – on one campus, although the proposals have yet to be finalised.

Headteacher Pip Murray said: “It’s really exciting news. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a split-site school and it’s especially difficult for parents who have to drop children at both sites.”

Oxfordshire County Council is set to begin refurbishment work at seven schools next year.

The rest of the funding will follow in 2010-11, subject to further negotiations between the council and the Department of Children, Schools and Families.

Oxfordshire primary schools are set to benefit from work costing £32,131,000.

The Government is contributing £12,711,312, with the county council finding the rest itself.

Council spokesman Paul Smith said: “We know that we will have £5.2million to spend in 2009-10 and it looks hopeful that we will have £7.5m to spend in 2010-11.”

Nationally, 1,500 primary schools are included in the building plans.

Mr Balls said: “It’s a once-in-a-generation chance to transform primary education in every part of the country – to sweep away buildings now reaching the end of their shelf life and drive up the quality of our schools.

“The investment will not only improve the education of our children but help to support jobs in the construction industry and local businesses, who will be crucial to fitting out the new and refurbished schools.”