Sixty-one schools across the country are set to receive state-of-the-art rebuilds or refurbishments as part of the government’s flagship School Rebuilding Programme.
The investment of over £1bn will provide thousands of children access to new, modern classrooms, transforming education for pupils up and down the country.
Education Secretary James Cleverly said: “This investment will make a huge difference to thousands of children who will benefit from state-of-the-art facilities.”
“It is vital that we are levelling up opportunity across the country, and this programme is a key part of that,” he added.
The 61 schools were selected from over 400 applications, with the final list including primary, secondary and special schools from every region of England.
Work is set to begin on the first wave of projects later this year, with all 61 expected to be completed by 2024.
This transformational investment in our education system will provide pupils with the modern facilities they deserve.
For more information on the School Rebuilding Programme, click here.
By working together, we are levelling up the opportunity for pupils across the country.
The School Rebuilding Programme is a £1bn investment to upgrade or rebuild school buildings.
It is part of the government’s commitment to invest over £14bn in school infrastructure by 2024, as set out in the 2019 Conservative manifesto.
Of the 61 schools announced today, 33 will be completely rebuilt, while the remaining 28 will receive significant refurbishments.
The programme will include new or upgraded sports facilities, science laboratories, music rooms and dining areas. All of the schools will also be made net-zero carbon in operation.
The first wave of projects is expected to start later this year, with all 61 schools completed by 2024.
This investment will boost school infrastructure across the country and follow other recent announcements, including a £560m acquisition of new school places and a £1.4bn programme to upgrade existing school buildings.
According to Education secretary Gavin Williamson, the investment will “create world-class learning environments that will nurture the talents of our young people”.
“The School Rebuilding Programme is a key part of our levelling agenda, and it is great to see so many schools from across the country set to benefit,” he added.
Headteachers and teaching unions have welcomed the news.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “This is a transformational investment in our education system that will provide pupils with the modern facilities they deserve.”
“It is also an important step towards addressing the historic underfunding of our schools, which has left them struggling to cope with ever-increasing class sizes and a lack of resources,” he added.
Headteacher of Framwellgate School Durham, Andy Byers, said: “I’m delighted that Framwellgate School Durham has been chosen to be part of the School Rebuilding Programme.”
“Our school was designed over 50 years ago and desperately needed refurbishment. This investment will enable us to provide our pupils with the modern facilities they deserve.”
The announcement comes as the government continues levelling up opportunities across the country.
Other recent initiatives include a £1bn investment in further education colleges, a £2.5bn fund to upgrade roads and bridges, and a £3bn programme to build new schools in high-need areas.
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