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School rebuilding programme: Phase one launched

50 schools have been announced today for the first wave of the Prime Minister’s ten-year rebuilding programme, with more than 70% of the schools announced located in the North and Midlands and supported by £1 billion in funding. The first 50 projects announced by the government will mark the start of the School Rebuilding Programme, which is due to deliver 500 rebuilding projects over the next decade.

The schools include primary, secondary and special schools as well as a sixth form college in West Yorkshire. The initial rebuilds and refurbishments are planned to create modern education environments, providing new facilities from classrooms and science labs, to sports halls and dining rooms. The schools are planned to also be greener, helping meet the government’s net zero target.

Also announced today 21 new free schools are to be built across the country, providing over 15,500 new school places, with ten opening in some of the most deprived areas. Three are in Opportunity Areas, where the Department for Education (DfE) works to remove barriers that could stop young people from achieving their potential. 

More than £10 million will also be invested to support school sports and swimming facilities in England, and will be distributed through Sport England. This targeted investment to selected schools will build on existing funding to help schools open their facilities outside of school hours, and encourage pupils to be more physically active.

Commenting on the announcement today, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “Today we are launching the first phase of our ambitious new schools programme, with 50 rebuilds and 21 new free schools.    

“The rebuilding projects are just the start of our major ten-year programme, transforming hundreds of schools and improving the education of tens of thousands of children. Alongside this, over 15,500 children will now benefit from 21 new free schools across the country as we look to build back better after the pandemic.

“I am determined to get all children back into education as soon as possible, and will make sure we do not let the pandemic stand in the way of giving every young person the opportunity to succeed, progress and fulfil their potential.”

Headteacher, Alison Rigby, of St John Fisher Catholic High School, Wigan, one of the 50 schools announced today, said: “We cannot express our sheer delight that our young people will have access to modern, state-of-the-art facilities in the future. We all know buildings don’t educate children, people do, but the environment in which children learn and are encouraged to grow is vital in producing decent human beings.

“It is great that our school has been identified for this investment – we have a unique sporting heritage – we have produced international Rugby league, Rugby Union and Netball players and athletes – despite our modest sporting facilities!

“This new build project will boost our curriculum offer and provide fantastic facilities in which our learning community will continue to flourish, and, most importantly, build confidence in our young people because they will feel valued and invested in and – ultimately, loved.”

The investment of over £1 billion to support the first round of the School Rebuilding Programme comes on top of the government’s commitment to allocate £1.8 billion for school repair and upgrade projects over this coming year.

Further details about the School Rebuilding programme will be set out later in 2021, including how evidence about schools’ condition needs can be provided to support prioritisation for future rounds of the programme.

The first 50 schools in the School Rebuilding Programme, grouped by local authority are:

Birmingham

King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls’ Academy

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Oak Academy

Cambridgeshire

Sawston Village College

Coventry

Cardinal Newman Catholic School

Coundon Court

West Coventry Academy

Derbyshire

Somerlea Park Junior School

Wilsthorpe School

Doncaster

Ash Hill Academy

Ridgewood School

Essex

The King Edmund School

Gloucestershire

Katharine Lady Berkeley’s School

Thomas Keble School

Hammersmith and Fulham

Fulham Cross Academy

Hampshire

Bay House School

Hertfordshire

Pinewood School

Kingston Upon Thames

Coombe Boys’ School

Kirklees

Greenhead College

Lancashire

Lytham St Annes High School

Tarleton Academy

Whitworth Community High School

Leicester

Catherine Infant School

Leicestershire

The Castle Rock School

Manchester

Sandilands Primary School

North Tyneside

Whitley Bay High School

Nottinghamshire

Sutton Bonington Primary School

Yeoman Park Academy

Rochdale

Kingsway Park High School

Littleborough Community Primary School

Newhouse Academy

Sefton

Deyes High School

Shropshire

Belvidere School

St. Helens

Longton Lane Community Primary School

Staffordshire

Wombourne High School

Sunderland

Farringdon Community Academy

Sutton

Greenshaw High School

Trafford

St John Vianney School

Wakefield

Minsthorpe Community College, A Specialist Science College

Wandsworth

Francis Barber Pupil Referral Unit

Warwickshire

Hartshill School

Kineton High School

Southam College

West Sussex

Greenway Academy

Wigan

The Byrchall High School

Fred Longworth High School

St John Fisher Catholic High School

St Thomas’ CofE Primary School, Leigh

Wolverhampton

S.Peter’s Collegiate Church of England School

Worcestershire

Pershore High School

Waseley Hills High School

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