Investment of £483m set to revamp schools across England

THOUSANDS of pupils across England are expected to get access to revamped school facilities soon as the Department for Education (DfE) on Wednesday (23) announced an investment of £483 million to improve the state of school buildings across the country.

The investment from Condition Improvement Fund will benefit about 1,199 schools, with the ones in North East and North West set to receive the largest allocation of funding of about £93m for 273 schools, DfE said.

UK Schools minister Baroness Berridge said: “Alongside our ambitious rebuilding programme for schools over the next decade, this government is making sure children learn in the best possible environments. Providing every school with the financial support it needs to build back better for its students.”

Under the project, nominated schools will get improved classrooms and more energy efficient buildings that are expected to reduce energy bills for schools, thereby helping to meet the government’s net zero target.

Smaller academy trusts and sixth form colleges had submitted the bids for funding through the Condition Improvement Fund process earlier after which the most pressing 1,199 projects have been allocated funding, DfE said.

Condition Improvement Fund follows UK’s School Rebuilding Programme announced by prime minister Boris Johnson last year, a funding of £1 bn for which was confirmed in February. Site inspections and detailed planning work for the first 50 schools are already underway. 

DfE expects to confirm a further 50 projects in the next wave of the School Rebuilding programme later this year. Projects will range from replacing or refurbishing individual buildings to whole school rebuilds.