I very much welcome that Knayton C of E Academy, near Thirsk, is set to receive a share of the Government's £450 million in extra funding to improve school buildings. Over 1,000 projects will receive new investment to deliver safe, well-maintained facilities that support a high-quality education for pupils.
859 academies, sixth form colleges and voluntary aided schools are set to benefit from the latest round of funding from the Government’s Condition Improvement Fund. This new investment will upgrade and improve school and college facilities, providing pupils with safer and warmer classrooms, and more energy efficient school buildings.
The Government announced £1.8 billion of capital funding for the financial year 2023-24 to improve the condition of school buildings – including £1.1 billion for local authorities, large multi-academy trusts and voluntary aided bodies.
The announcement follows on from the 239 new school buildings confirmed in December as part of the Schools Rebuilding Programme, with 400 out of 500 schools and sixth form colleges now selected for rebuilds through the ten-year programme.
Every school should have access to high-quality facilities and our investment will deliver this so pupil can develop the skills they need for their careers as we grow the economy.
Commenting, Minister for the School System, Baroness Diana Barran MBE said:
“Our Condition Improvement Fund has already completed over ten thousand projects, making a difference to pupils and teachers across the country. These projects help to create safer learning environments that make a difference to the quality of education for pupils.
“It’s hugely important that every school has access to high-quality learning facilities and these funding allocations will make sure that responsible bodies can start to plan ahead and get projects started to replace roofs, boilers and windows – so pupils and teachers can learn and work in a comfortable space.”
