Government grants help two New Addington schools in Gloucestershire
Castle Hill Academy and Rowdown Primary in New Addington have received government grant funding to improve their buildings, including work linked to RAAC, with gloucestershire school spending now part of a wider national programme. The two primaries are among 684 schools across England sharing the latest funding round.
The money can pay for refurbishments made necessary by RAAC, as well as new heating systems, roof repairs and electrical work. The grants form part of the Labour government’s Condition Improvement Fund, worth more than £450 million.
Castle Hill Academy and Rowdown Primary
Castle Hill Academy is on Dunley Drive, and Rowdown Primary is the other New Addington school in the funding round. Earlier this year, Castle Hill primary was visited by the Princess of Wales, adding a local reference point to the latest investment decision.
Natasha Irons, the MP for Croydon East, welcomed the investment in New Addington. She said: “Parents in Croydon remember the terror of the RAAC crisis, the fear that children were no longer safe in their own school because of years of Tory neglect” and added: “Labour is turning the page through our Plan for Change, literally fixing the foundations of our schools so local children are in a safe environment where they can achieve and thrive.”
Bridget Phillipson on school repairs
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “The defining image of the school estate under the previous government was children sitting under steel props to stop crumbling concrete falling on their heads. It simply isn’t good enough.” She also said: “Parents expect their children to learn in a safe warm environment. It’s what children deserve, and it is what we are delivering.”
The Department for Education said: “These programmes form part of Labour’s 10-year plan to renew buildings across education, and are designed to ensure children in Croydon can learn in classrooms fit for purpose – with high-quality and inspiring school buildings.” The wider package includes the School Rebuilding Programme, which is refurbishing schools across the country, including buildings with dangerous RAAC materials.
This year’s school-condition spending is more than £2.1 billion, with the latest grants aimed at the practical work school leaders usually need first: fixing roofs, heating and electrical systems before wider refurbishments can follow.
