(Secretary
of State for Education): I am confirming details of the first 50
schools to benefit from the new school rebuilding programme
announced by the Prime Minister in June 2020, as well as details
of a further 21 new free schools.
As part of the Government’s plan to drive growth beyond the
COVID-19 pandemic, we are committed to investing in
infrastructure, skills and innovation. Investing in our school
buildings is vital to deliver the world-class education needed to
get the country back on its feet.
As set out at the recent Spending Review, we are delivering on
our promises by launching a ten-year rebuilding programme, with a
commitment to 500 school rebuilding projects over the next
decade. This will replace many poor condition and ageing school
buildings with modern, energy efficient designs, transforming
education for thousands of pupils.
The ten-year school rebuilding programme demonstrates our
continued commitment to investing in the school estate and
providing a long-term pipeline of projects for the construction
sector as we build back better.
The Department for Education will build on its existing
construction expertise with a continued focus on innovative
modern methods of construction to support more highly skilled
jobs and improved productivity. Our market leading frameworks,
including a new construction framework later this year, will
continue to provide opportunities across the industry and enable
small and medium-sized enterprises to benefit from the
opportunities that a decade-long pipeline will bring. The
construction projects procured through these frameworks will
support jobs and create apprenticeships and T-Level placements
across England.
The first 50 schools to benefit from this programme have been
prioritised based on condition need and will be supported by over
£1 billion in capital funding. These first projects include
primary and secondary schools as well as a sixth form college and
special and alternative provision settings.
This also represents a substantial investment in schools in the
midlands and north of England, with thirty-eight out of fifty
projects located in these regions. We expect construction on the
first sites to begin from autumn 2021.
The ten-year programme will continue to target school buildings
in the worst condition across England and we will set out further
plans shortly.
Alongside the rebuilding programme, the Government has committed
£1.8 billion in 2021-22 for maintaining and improving the
condition of the school estate.
Thousands more children across the country are also set to
benefit from a new free school opening in their local area in the
years to come, as I have approved 21 successful new free schools,
providing over 15,500 new school places once open. In addition, I
have approved in principle a further 8 schools, subject to
meeting certain conditions.
These schools will help level up opportunity across the country
by providing high quality school places in the areas where they
are most needed. Ten of the 21 free schools approved will open in
some of the most deprived areas – including three in Opportunity
Areas, where the Department works to remove barriers that could
stop young people from achieving their potential.
These new schools reflect the Government’s continued commitment
to the free school programme. 249 free schools have now been
approved to open in the coming years, spreading the benefits of
the free schools programme to even more areas of the country and
joining the 558 free schools already open.
We are also investing £10.1 million of funding in schools across
England, to allow them to open their existing school sports and
swimming facilities outside of the school day.
Funding will be distributed via Sport England’s network of county
level Active Partnerships. Schools will have the opportunity to
bid for this funding in the Summer term.
