Thurston Community College near Bury St Edmunds, Castle Manor and Samuel Ward academies in Haverhill and Linton Village College delighted to be named in School Rebuilding Programme

Further schools in Suffolk and one just over the south Cambridgeshire border have been announced as being included in the government's School Rebuilding Programme.

Earlier today, SuffolkNews reported that Priory School in Bury St Edmunds will get a whole new school building as part of the ten-year scheme.

Lawrence Chapman, CEO of SENDAT (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Academies Trust), which runs the school, described the news as a 'Christmas miracle'.

It can now be revealed that Thurston Community College in Thurston, near Bury St Edmunds, Castle Manor Academy and Samuel Ward Academy, both in Haverhill, Linton Village College, near Haverhill and Ormiston Endeavour Academy in Ipswich have also been included.

This latest announcement of 239 more school and sixth form buildings to be transformed is on top of the 161 that have previously been announced, with construction works now nearing completion on the most advanced sites.

The new buildings will be more energy efficient for future winter resilience and net-zero in operation, with old facilities replaced by modern education environments including new classrooms, sports halls and dining rooms, the government said.

Nicki Mattin, principal of Thurston Community College, said: "I am very pleased to be able to share with you that the government has announced today that Thurston Community College has provisionally been allocated a place in the School Rebuilding Programme.

"This will entail a major rebuilding and/or refurbishment. We will know more about the project in the New Year.

"The main building originally opened its doors in 1973, so this long anticipated news is highly welcome as the college approaches its 50th anniversary year.

"It is lovely to know that in the coming years TCC (Thurston Community College) will have the TLC it deserves - a lovely early Christmas present and exciting times ahead."

This follows an announcement last month that more than £1.7 million of community infrastructure levy (CIL) funding has been approved for the expansion of Thurston Community College.

Vanessa Whitcombe, headteacher at Castle Manor Academy, said: “We are delighted to be named in the School Rebuilding Programme.

“This is double good news, coming just days after it was announced that we would be in line for major refurbishment once the former Parkway Middle School site is closed.

“While the two proposals are separate, they both add up to great news for Castle Manor Academy, our staff and students.”

Andy Hunter, executive headteacher at Samuel Ward Academy, said: “It is fantastic to see Samuel Ward Academy listed within the School Rebuilding Programme.

“While the amount is not yet clear and the exact work will be determined by a feasibility study, any announcement of extra funding is of course welcomed and will greatly benefit students in the years to come.”

West Suffolk MP Matt Hancock said: "I am delighted that Samuel Ward Academy and Castle Manor Academy have been selected in the government's rebuilding programme.

"I have been working closely with the government to secure investment for our schools to offer children the best opportunity to succeed.

"This is brilliant news which will make a huge difference for the education of our students."

At Linton Village College, which is in south Cambridgeshire but attended by a number of students from nearby Haverhill, full details of the scale of the renovation and how the academy, which is a member of Anglian Learning trust, will use its allocated funding will be confirmed in the coming months.

All building renovations will be energy efficient and old facilities will be replaced with modern teaching and learning environments creating inspirational spaces for our young people and staff.

Helena Marsh, the college's principal, said: “Finding out that we have been selected for a significant rebuild and refurbishment project to improve the condition of our facilities is a fabulous way to end the term.

"This investment in our school, which currently includes a number of old temporary buildings, will have a significant impact on students’ learning environment at Linton Village College.”

Jonathan Culpin, CEO of Anglian Learning said: “We are delighted that Linton Village College has been selected by the Department for Education for this school rebuilding programme.

"This application was initiated and developed by our Trust Central Team who will continue to support the school as plans progress.

"This is exciting news for Anglian Learning and Linton Village College and will further empower learners to thrive and succeed as part of our strategy of enabling excellence for all."

Today the government also announced further detail on the extra £2 billion of funding for schools for next year and the year after announced at the Autumn Statement, with special needs funding increasing to over £10 billion next year.

The funding allocations for local authorities for next year mean:

• Funding for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities will increase by almost £1 billion - a 10.6 per cent increase compared to this year;
• Special schools and alternative provision receive an average 3.4 per cent per place increase in their funding in 2023-24, as a result of the additional funding from the Autumn Statement;
• Funding for mainstream schools will increase by over £2.5 billion in 2023-24, compared to this year;
• Local authorities will receive average funding increases of 3.4 per cent for the three- and four-year-old free childcare entitlements and four per cent for the two-year-old entitlement, as the Early Years National Funding Formulae are updated.

Gillian Keegan, Secretary of State for Education, said: "Education is a top priority for this government. That is why, despite facing challenging economic circumstances, we are investing a record amount in our schools and colleges.

"Today’s announcement will transform hundreds of schools across the country and ensure they are fit for the future.

“The additional funding, alongside fantastic new facilities, will mean our brilliant teachers can get on with what they do best – and inspire the next generation.”

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “While we welcome the announcement of a further wave of school renovation projects, this comes against a background of long-term government neglect which has led to the deterioration of many school buildings.

“The government’s own school conditions survey published last year showed that it would cost £11.4 billion to repair or replace all defective elements in the school estate.

“This unacceptable backlog means schools often have to teach children in sub-standard premises.

“The situation is not helped by a convoluted funding system in which many schools have to bid for grants simply to finance work which is required for basic safety requirements.

“The further detail on next year’s school funding allocation is helpful, but these uplifts do not help schools afford the soaring costs that are hitting them now, and are unlikely to be sufficient to cover future costs either.

“In particular, special educational needs provision is under huge pressure. The number of children who need support has been rising for several years, and the mechanisms for getting money to the front line are complex, burdensome and bureaucratic.

“The system is in crisis and much more investment and urgency over system reform are needed.

“It also needs to be understood that the Autumn Statement contained no additional funding for colleges and sixth forms at all despite them also facing steeply rising costs.

“This is the sector that is vital to delivering the skills revolution proclaimed by the government, but ministerial rhetoric is not matched by the woefully insufficient level of investment in post-16 education.”