Joy and dismay for crumbling schools

A CRUMBLING Oldham school has been awarded cash from a new £2 billion rebuilding pot — but another has missed out.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said Saddleworth School was among 261 schools included in a £2.4 billion Government rebuilding programme.

The schools will be rebuilt through the private finance initiative (PFI), but the Department for Education (Dfe) — not individual schools, or local councils — will be responsible for annual repayments.

The priority building programme — set up after ministers controversially scrapped Labour’s £55 billion Building Schools for the Future programme in 2010 — was flooded with bids and 326 applications across the country did not make the grade, including Royton and Crompton School.

Councillor Hugh McDonald, cabinet member for education and safeguarding, said the council was delighted for Saddleworth School.

He said: “We have proactively lobbied long and hard for this decision and that is because we are committed to delivering the best facilities for our pupils now and for generations to come.

“We are disappointed that Royton and Crompton School has not been approved for funding at this time. However, we will continue to do our utmost to secure funding for the future.”

Difficult
Councils were asked to nominate the schools in most need of repair, and the Government sent surveyors to assess each bid. The amount to be given to each successful school is still to be decided, pending discussions with the arms-length Education Funding Agency.

But Mr Gove insisted each of the 261 would be fully funded to meet their “condition needs”, whether that was refurbishment or rebuilding from scratch.

Mr Gove said: “I know that many schools will be disappointed not to be included in the programme.

“We have had to take difficult decisions in order to target spending on those schools that are in the worst condition.”