THE growing demand for a Cholsey school that combines learning with a love of the outdoors has prompted a £350,000 expansion drive.

The Treehouse School, which opened in September 2012, has 15 pupils aged five to 11.

The non-fee-paying independent primary, which focuses on healthy eating and holds some classes outdoors, needs to expand to accommodate a growing demand for places.

Now a plot of land has been donated for a new eco-school to be built off Cross Road that will feature three large eco-pods to accommodate about 30 pupils.

Cholsey mum Cassie Fraser-Jones, who has four children – Magnus, 10, Ollie, eight, and twins Eddie and Grace, five – at the school, is backing the expansion plan.

She said: “I volunteer to cook with the children once a week and we use vegetables grown locally if we possibly can.

“We try to cook with pupils on a one-to-one basis – at the moment their favourite is chicken pie – and we get them to help us draw up the menus.

“I am very much in favour of this expansion plan because we are hugely over-subscribed and would like more pupils to have these opportunities.”

Fundraiser Andrea Turner, of Crowmarsh Gifford, has launched a “Donate a Pound” campaign to encourage people to give to the cause and so far £16,000 has been raised.

She added: “The land has been donated and we have planning permission for the new eco-school – we just need the funding for pods to be built.

“We will be able to start work on the site before we have raised the full amount and I would like to think work could start later this year, with the new school perhaps opening about a year later.”

Ms Turner said grant funding would also be sought from a variety of organisations as the school received no backing from the Department for Education.

Headteacher Lee Ryman said: “We are very excited about the project and we are building on the success and support we have already had so far.

“If lots of people gave us a pound, it would help us achieve our target. One elderly gentleman knocked on the door the other day and gave us £5.”

Edith Ryman, nine, who is the headteacher’s niece and lives on a farm in Cholsey, said: “I like coming to The Treehouse School because we have some lessons outdoors.”

Sharon Julian, of Kingston Bagpuize, co-founded the school, which promotes “nature, nurture and nourishment”.

She said: “The pupils here are backing the move because they want others to have the opportunities they do to learn outside and do lots of cooking.”

For further information visit thetreehouseschool.org.uk or donate by texting TTTT37 £1 (or £2, £5 or £10) to 70070.