Cash injection for primary schools
Friday June 26, 2009
Primary schools in Hammersmith & Fulham are to receive a windfall of more than £26 million as part of radical plans to improve education in the borough.
Six schools in Hammersmith & Fulham - Bentworth, John Betts, St Peter's, Langford, Holy Cross and Jack Tizard - will share the money over the next five years.
The huge cash injection into the education system, which is drawn from a pot of £70m for primary schools, is part of a total of £245m in all schools across the borough over the next 15 years. This will lead to improvements and raise standards across the board, providing parents with schools of choice.
A high number of families in H&F currently choose private education or schools outside the borough, rather than local state schools. This is a trend the council wants to reverse by offering local families new and innovative state school choices.
Councillor Antony Lillis, cabinet member for community and children's services, said: "This money will go towards providing a better future for pupils in the borough, by improving facilities or building new classrooms, leading to more opportunities for children in H&F.
"We are serious about giving parents real choices when deciding where their children should go to school and this is more than a step in the right direction - it is building on the strengths of our schools to make any of them a solid option for parents."
Some of the first schools to undergo a massive make-over include Jack Tizard, where work on a £1 million hydrotherapy pool is already underway and is expected to be completed by January next year.
The current temporary reception classroom at John Betts will be replaced with a new permanent building, and up to £7m will be spent over the next three years at St Peter's School.
A recent consultation was held on plans to move into new accommodation in 2012 and to introduce a two-form entry at Holy Cross, doubling the school's Roman Catholic provision.
Seven million pounds will be spent on remodelling Bentworth and another £1m will be used at Langford to improve education for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties.
