- Sixty-one schools to be rebuilt or refurbished as part of
£1bn investment to level up education
- Rebuilds and refurbishments to create modern education
environments, such as in sports halls, music rooms, science labs
and dining areas
- Department to deliver 500 projects over the next decade which
will transform education for thousands of pupils
Sixty-one schools across the country are set to receive state of
the art rebuilds or refurbishments that will transform education
for their pupils.
In his first announcement as Education Secretary, confirmed the investment to
provide thousands of children access to new, modern classrooms as
part of the Prime Minister’s flagship School Rebuilding
Programme.
The projects will be backed by over £1bn of funding.
Work to deliver the projects will start immediately. It will
include updating and modernising buildings, and creating state of
the art facilities such as new sports halls, music rooms, science
labs and dining areas.
The new school buildings will be net-zero carbon in operation,
helping meet the Government’s net zero target.
The schools in this round include primary, secondary, and special
schools, with eleven in the North West, ten in the North East and
six in Yorkshire and the Humber, helping level up education for
children of all ages and right across the country.
Since 2010, around 500 schools have been refurbished or rebuilt
under government programmes.
Education Secretary said:
“Our School Rebuilding Programme is already making a difference
to the lives of pupils and their teachers. It is creating greener
school sites that are fit for the future and that local
communities can be proud of.
“We know how important it is to have high-quality school
facilities. That is why we continue to invest billions in our
rebuilding programme.”
Headteacher of Framwellgate School Durham, Andy Byers
said:
“I’m absolutely delighted that Framwellgate School Durham has
been chosen to be part of the School Rebuilding Programme.
“Our school was designed and built in the 1960s and is old and
tired and very poorly designed. With a new building we will be
able to give our students facilities and a learning environment
which will inspire them, and our staff, in the working
environment they deserve.”
Schools selected in round one of the programme such as West
Coventry Academy and St Catholic High School in Wigan
are benefitting from a full replacement of all their buildings.
The work will transform the environment children learn in
including brand new sports facilities enabling more children to
take part in physical activity.
The commitment to rebuild and refurbish the schools most in need
is part of Government’s wider Schools White Paper commitments, to
ensure that by 2030 every child will be taught a broad and
ambitious curriculum in a school with high expectations and
strong standards of behaviour.
From early years onwards, all children will be taught a broad,
ambitious, knowledge-rich curriculum and have access to
high-quality extra-curricular provision. To achieve this, staff
and pupils need access to top facilities.
Alongside the new rebuilding programme, the government has
committed £1.8 billion in financial year 2022-23 for maintaining
and improving the school estate, as part of £13.1 billion
allocated since 2015.
The full list of schools can be found here.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
CEO of All Saints Catholic Academy Trust (ASCAT), Mr
Stephen Wheatley said:
"We are delighted that St John's Catholic Primary School has been
chosen to be included in the government's School Rebuilding
Programme. This represents a fantastic opportunity for the school
community to work with the DfE to provide a new, modern school
building that will serve countless generations of children and
families in the Rickmansworth area, continuing to provide them
with an exciting and engaging first rate education and all of the
life changing opportunities that this brings with it."
Assistant Director: Education & Skills for Newcastle
City Council, Mark Patton said:
"Newcastle City Council are delighted to have another one of its
nominated schools accepted as part of the government’s School
Rebuilding Programme.
“This programme provides opportunities for old, out-dated school
buildings to be rebuilt using modern methods of construction to
create modern and efficient facilities which will serve our
communities for years to come.
“The City Council looks forward to working closely with the
Department for Education, schools and the local communities they
serve on this and other projects over the coming year.”
