WORKINGTON MP Mark Jenkinson has welcomed news that three schools in his constituency will benefit from a multi-million pound Government funding boost.
Ellenborough Academy, Cockermouth School, and Dearham Primary School are all set to receive the cash boost through the Condition Improvement Fund 2023-24 round.
They are among 1,000 school building improvement projects given the green light today [22nd May] as part of plans to boost the condition of the school estate.
Following a rigorous assessment process, almost £456 million has been allocated to support 1,033 projects at 859 academies, sixth-form colleges and voluntary aided schools.
This is excellent news for all three schools. Teachers in this constituency already make a huge and positive difference to the lives of young people.
This Government funding will help them to raise aspiration even more – and create an environment that is conducive not only to learning but also to children’s wellbeing.
I will continue to campaign in support of education funding which is an investment in the future of our young people – and money well spent.
These projects help to create safer learning environments that make a difference to the quality of education for pupils.
It is vital that schools have access to high-quality learning facilities and these funding allocations will make sure that responsible bodies can plan ahead and get projects underway to replace roofs, boilers and windows – so pupils and teachers can learn and work in safe, warm, comfortable and energy efficient classrooms.
Mark Jenkinson MP
Cockermouth School will use its CIF funding to undertake a roof replacement Programme.
We are delighted to be benefitting from a large investment to improve our school estate. We will be investing circa £1m of Condition Improvement Funding allocated by the DfE to replace old roofs and insulate internal spaces.
The investment will improve our facilities in two blocks that are separate from the main building, which is now part of the national School Rebuilding Programme. We continue to work with the DfE on this major investment and are currently awaiting further information on a timescale for our rebuild. It is great to hear again, in this week's announcement, that we can take another big step forward to improve our facilities for students, staff and the whole community.
Mr Richard King
Cockermouth School Headteacher
Meanwhile, Dearham Primary School will be putting their CIF funding towards a new and more accessible sensory room.
The investment will allow them to move the facility from the first floor to the ground floor where it will be better accessed not only by pupils, but also by a network of local schools who will be able to share the facility.
I am delighted to have to have been successful in the recent CIF fund and this will open up access for more children across the local area, improving education for pupils with SEND requirements.
Ms Jacqui Wilson
Dearham Primary School Headteacher
A breakdown of amounts awarded to individual schools may be published later, but it is thought that making this information public immediately could undermine the school’s ability to obtain best value from contractors.
The successful schools will now be asked to submit outstanding returns from any previous Condition Improvement Fund projects; read and accept the new terms and conditions of funding; and liaise with us about delivery and payment schedules.
We are also inviting schools with successful projects to a live, online interactive webinar including a Q&A session. This is aimed at supporting accounting officers who will report on projects supported by the Fund.
A total of 859 academies, sixth-form colleges and voluntary aided schools will receive funding to improve their school buildings.
They will all receive a share of a £456 million pot created to help refurbish and repair the fabric of our schools.
Over 1,000 projects will be funded to give students a high-quality learning environment.
The announcement follows on from 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 been selected for rebuilds through the ten-year programme.
Overall, the Government has committed £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 announced in March.
The Department for Education has allocated over £15 billion since 2015 to support the government’s priority for schools to have safe, well-maintained facilities that support a high-quality education for pupils.
