Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, has welcomed the news that two South Staffordshire schools have been granted funding from the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF).
Kinver High School and Sixth Form and St John’s Primary Academy in Essington have been awarded funding for the improvement and expansion of existing academy and sixth-form college buildings. Kinver High has been awarded funding for a new build block replacement and St John’s Academy in Essington will use the money towards a roof replacement.
Gavin has previously called on the Secretary of State of Education to grant the schools the money after some parts of the building had fallen in disrepair.
The government announced £435 million funding for 1,276 projects at 1,030 academies and sixth-form colleges. This also follows on from the announcement in February of the allocation of £200 million of Devolved Formula Capital to schools and the School Condition Allocations to local authorities, voluntary aided schools and larger multi-academy trusts.
The core priority of CIF is keeping academy and sixth-form college buildings safe and in good working order. Most CIF funding aims to address issues with significant consequences that revenue or Devolved Formula Capital (DFC) funding cannot meet. These include issues with poor building condition, building compliance, energy efficiency and health and safety.
Commenting on the announcement Gavin said: “I am delighted that Kinver High School and Sixth Form and St John’s Primary Academy in Essington have been allocated CIF funding. I am glad that the Secretary of State for Education has listened to teachers and have responded by allocating this money that was desperately needed to refurbish the school buildings. Our pupils in South Staffordshire deserve the best start in life and this funding will go some way to helping with this.”