£3.6 Billion For Primary School Buildings

Some welcome news for the construction industry as Ed Balls, secretary of state for children, schools and families, confirmed that more than 1,500 rebuilding and refurbishment projects will begin now that 133 UK local authorities have been given the go-ahead.

A further 15 local authorities will receive advice on how to bring their plans up to speed within three months, to allow funding to be released.

More than 1,500 primary schools in England will be rebuilt or refurbished in the next two years under approved building plans valued at £3.55 billion due to be announced by the Government.

More than 350 primary schools will be newly built, new facilities will be constructed, and major refurbishment carried out at a further 850 schools and smaller building works will take place at another 350.

The government will release £1.75billion of funding to local authorities for the Primary Capital programme, (PCP) with local authorities investing a further £1.8billion. The PCP is investing £7billion to rebuild or refurbish half of all primary schools and primary-age special schools by 2022/23.

Mr Balls said: “This huge capital investment will not only improve the education of our children, but help to support jobs in the construction industry and local businesses who will be crucial to fitting out the new and refurbished schools....This is a once-in-a-generation chance to transform primary education in every part of the country - to sweep away buildings now reaching the end of their shelf life and drive up the quality of our schools. Schools are now being revolutionised by the biggest, sustained capital investment for 50 years.”

Ian Fordham, deputy chief executive of the British Council for School Environments, welcomed the announcement saying “The key now is to ensure this money is well spent in a commonsense way...It must complement other, broader educational agendas such as the Children's Plan, and the general health and wellbeing of young people, to ensure a long-term legacy for our children and our communities.”