It’s all money, money, money today. This in from the council, in their own words. Ed
A £13 million investment plan for Island schools is being brought before Isle of Wight councillors for approval next week.
The council’s cabinet will meet on 13 December to consider a wide ranging capital investment plan which will ensure that school buildings on the Island will be of the highest quality. The investment programme is the next stage after the completion of the move from a three tier to a two tier education system.
Modernising expanded primary schools
The bulk of the £13 million investment will modernise expanded primary schools at Carisbrooke CE, Summerfield and Barton at Newport, The Bay CE at Sandown, Gatten and Lake, Wootton and All Saints CE at Freshwater.
Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) provision will also benefit from the investment programme.
The money will fund roofing and security work and maintenance at other sites and also schemes to make some schools more environmentally-friendly. It will be the fourth phase of an investment period that began in 2010. By the end of this phase, £43 million will have been spent on upgrading existing schools and building new ones.
Local labour used where possible
Where possible, local labour and supplies will continue to be used to give an ongoing boost to the Island’s economy. This approach has already been successfully used in the first three phases where 90 per cent of work has been undertaken by local companies.
Janet Newton, head of commissioning of education services, said: “Raising educational attainment is a key aim of the council and to do this we believe that pupils and teachers must be provided with buildings of top quality.
“This latest phase of the capital investment programme will make a significant contribution to that.
“The size, suitability and conditions of school buildings play a major role in determining how effectively schools are able to deliver the curriculum.”
The details of the latest investment are outlined in the cabinet paper released in advance of the 13 December meeting.
Image: Jo Jakeman under CC BY 2.0
