Local MP, Caroline Dinenage, has welcomed the announcement that Baycroft School has been selected as one of the latest 239 schools that will be rebuilt or substantially refurbished as part of the fourth round of the Conservative Government’s School Rebuilding Programme.
The programme will provide the funding to transform 500 schools across England, delivering on the Government’s commitment to level up opportunity around the country by giving every child access to the best classrooms, wherever they go to school.
The School Rebuilding Programme is backed by £1.8 billion of government funding this financial year, helping to rebuild and refurbish primary, secondary, and specialist schools, in addition to sixth form colleges around England.
The funding for Baycroft will help to deliver state of the art learning environments for pupils. The majority of the projects are set to be completed in three to five years.
Each school in the programme has been selected based on the condition of its buildings, making sure the greatest improvements are delivered for schools that need them the most and maximising children’s chances to gain the skills and knowledge they need.
The new buildings will be more energy efficient for future winter resilience, helping schools keep bills down and meeting our Net Zero commitments.
Selected schools include primary, secondary, special schools, and 16-19 institutions, with over half of the successful schools in the Midlands and North, levelling up education across England.
Construction of new buildings at some of the previously announced schools is already underway, with a number of projects almost completed.
As well as delivering world-class learning environments for pupils, the School Rebuilding Programme will also create opportunities, jobs, and apprenticeships – from the construction industry to suppliers, businesses will be offering training as part of their involvement in the projects.
Commenting, Caroline said:
“The quality of facilities in schools can have a significant impact on a student’s learning and I have been working closely with the Conservative Government to secure investment in our schools to offer children the best opportunity to succeed.
“That is why I welcome the news that Baycroft School will benefit from the latest round of the School Rebuilding Programme, backed by £1.8 billion in 2022–34 to rebuild and refurbish 239 more schools across the country, including updating and modernising.
“This investment will improve the experience of students across the country – helping them to learn, develop, and achieve their full potential.”
Commenting, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said:
“Education is a top priority for this Government. That is why, despite facing challenging economic circumstances, we are investing a record amount in our schools and colleges. Today’s announcement will transform hundreds of schools across the country and ensure they are fit for the future.
“The additional funding, alongside fantastic new facilities, will mean our brilliant teachers can get on with what they do best – and inspire the next generation.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
The Conservatives are delivering the world class education facilities our children deserve by:
- Building new and improved facilities for 400 schools, giving more children the world class learning environment they deserve. The Conservative Government has announced the first 400 of 500 schools that will benefit from over £13 billion since 2015 to maintain and improve school facilities across England, including £1.8 billion this financial year, helping to build new facilities from classrooms and science labs, to sports halls and dining rooms (DfE, Press Release, 15 December 2022, link).
- Providing £2 billion extra school funding this year and next, helping schools and colleges with the highest real terms spending on schools in history. 2024-25 will be the highest spending year in history for schools – the total the schools budget will be £58.8 billion in 2024-25, with the Conservative Government putting more into schools than ever before (DfE, Press Release, 6 December 2022, link).
- Providing £500 million for energy efficiency upgrades for schools and colleges, helping them to save on their bills. On average, a primary school will receive approximately £16,000, a secondary school will receive around £42,000, and further education college groups will receive approximately £290,000 (DfE, Press Release, 6 December 2022, link).
- Boosting schools and skills under the Levelling Up plans with 55 Education Investment Areas and extra funding and support for skills to Level Up across the country. Through the Levelling Up White Paper, the Conservative Government are targeting support to 55 areas across the country where school outcomes are weakest to target investment, support and action, including: retention payments to help keep the best teachers, new specialist sixth form free schools, and new reading, writing and maths targets (DfE, Press Release, 1 February 2022, link).
