Two New Addington primaries have been given grant funding to improve their school buildings – including any refurbishments made necessary by the use of RAAC – Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete – in their buildings’ construction.
By royal appointment: after a visit from Kate Middleton, Castle Hill primary has now been granted funds to repair and refurbish the school
Castle Hill Academy, on Dunley Drive, and Rowdown Primary are among 684 schools across England to receive government cash to replace heating systems, mend roofs and update electrical works in schools, part of a 10-year plan to deliver renewal for schools and colleges across England.
Castle Hill was the New Addington primary school visited earlier this year by the Princess of Wales.
The Labour government’s Condition Improvement Fund is making grants worth more than £450million, part of a wider package of investment including the School Rebuilding Programme, which is refurbishing schools across the country, including those whose buildings contained dangerous RAAC materials.
Ready to build: Rowdown is one of two New Addington primaries to receive government grants
“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,” a Department for Education spokesperson said this morning.
“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,” said Natasha Irons, MP for Croydon East, which includes New Addington.
“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.
“With free breakfast clubs, free school meals and safer schools, Labour is setting children up for the best start in life.”
‘Turning the page’: Croydon East MP Natasha Irons has welcomed the investment in New Addington
The CIF programme is part of the government’s investment of more than £2.1billion this year to improve the condition of schools.
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.
“Parents expect their children to learn in a safe warm environment. It’s what children deserve, and it is what we are delivering.
“This investment is about more than just buildings – it’s about showing children that their education matters, their futures matter, and this government is determined to give them the best possible start in life.”
Read more: Croydon schools given all-clear over ‘crumbling’ concrete fears
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