Government announces £2.5 Billion in funding for schools and colleges to upgrade buildings and to increase school places.
At the end of March this year, the government announced that they are investing £1.8 billion to help improve school estates. £1.1 billion of this has been directed towards local authorities, multi-academy trusts, and voluntary aided bodies. This adds to the £15 billion already invested into funding for building improvements since 2015.
The aim is that this funding will lead to renovations that create high-quality learning environments. These buildings will hopefully benefit communities for a long time. The use of this funding could include upgrades to classrooms and learning spaces.
Baroness Diana Barran MBE, Minister for the School System, has said ‘Our Condition Improvement Fund has already completed over 11,000 projects… These funding allocations will make sure that responsible bodies can start to plan ahead and get projects started to replace roofs, boilers and windows – so pupils and teachers can learn and work in a comfortable space.’
On the 22nd of May, over 1000 school buildings received the go-ahead for their improvement projects. These 1000+ projects stretch across 859 school estates throughout the country. Making use of the £456 million from the Condition Improvement Fund. The investment adds to the school rebuilding programme which prioritises refurbishments of schools in poor condition.
Another type of funding available is the FE Capital Transformation Programme. This is part of a government plan to improve post-16 education. Focusing towards ‘unsatisfactory’ further education schools the fund aims to reduce the number of schools not fit for use.
How to apply
Each year schools and colleges can apply for a share of the condition improvement fund by bidding. This bid will need to set out what the priority project would be at your school. They can be complex and need to include compelling evidence. We share our top tips for getting accepted in this article. Ultimately, your application needs to explain how you will use the and why your school needs it the most.
At Chawton Hill, we can guide you through and support your Condition Improvement Fund application. We can also assist you during the improvements. From minor alterations to project management of new buildings make the most of our experience. Look at some of our previous projects here.
Get in touch today to let us know how we can best support your school’s development.