​A Kingston upon Thames school is planning to breathe fresh life into its facilities after winning £5,000 worth of decorating and DIY materials in a London-wide contest.

Latchmere School came out on top in a public vote in Leyland SDM’s Big School Makeover competition to scoop the “game-changing” prize.

There were more than 10,000 votes cast in total with Latchmere School, on Latchmere Road, attracting almost 30%.

The school will be able to spend £5,000 on any materials at Leyland SDM stores, the nearest of which is on London Road in Kingston.

Carolyn Coles, Head of School, said paint and decorating materials are on the shopping list to revamp classrooms and corridors, as well as tools to make necessary repairs around the main buildings.

She said: “It was absolutely amazing to win this competition. All of our parents and teachers were very engaged with the campaign and we’re grateful for their support.

“The school will look so much more pleasant and inviting once it has had a good coat of paint and that will benefit our children greatly. This is game-changing for us and we are extremely grateful to Leyland SDM for giving us the opportunity.”

The Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls in Acton and Greenside Primary School in Shepherd’s Bush, meanwhile, won £2,500 each to spend at Leyland SDM after finishing second and third respectively in the public vote.

Martin Hastings, CEO of Leyland SDM, said: “A massive congratulations to our three successful schools who will share the £10,000 Big School Makeover pot, and particularly to our champions, Latchmere School.

“We’re really looking forward to helping the school select the materials they need to make a genuine difference to their facilities. I’m sure it will be a massive boost for both children and staff at a time when funding is so difficult for schools.

“Big School Makeover has really captured the imagination with more than 500 nominations to start with, which our judges whittled down to 10 finalists, before this fiercely competitive voting stage.

“Playing an active role in the London community is vitally important to us and this is another example of that commitment.”

Big School Makeover was open to both primary and secondary schools across London, where Leyland SDM has 33 stores in prominent locations.

Leyland SDM has become one of the most recognisable and trusted decorating and DIY retail brands. 

Some of the biggest and best-known DIY brands are available, including Farrow & Ball, Tesa, Bahco, Bosch, Purdy, Dulux Trade, Leyland Trade, Stanley, Ronseal and DEWALT.