Expression of interest in money for Wokingham schools
This week (November 27), Wokingham Borough Council’s decision-making executive is set to agree to submit an ‘expression of interest’ for £80million worth of funding from the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme to benefit the borough’s secondary schools.
Cllr Norman Jorgensen, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “Back in 2003 the council submitted its original proposals to the BSF programme but we were told that we would have to wait a significant amount of time before we would benefit from this funding as the government initially concentrated funding elsewhere. We are currently in wave 15, the final stage to receive this money. However, we do have one school being rebuilt under the BSF umbrella and we now have the opportunity to re-submit our proposals for the remainder.”
The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) recently invited all local authorities to re-submit their proposals to rebuild or refurbish schools under the BSF programme. In light of this, the council has set up a project group, made up of council officers and three secondary headteachers, to prepare the bid and consultation has been carried out with the borough-wide secondary federation.
Secondary headteachers have been consulted on how to prioritise schools for funding, if the bid is successful. The criteria agreed includes provisional 2008 GCSE results for five or more A* to C including English and maths, condition and suitability factors.
The Wokingham Borough is currently at least five years away from receiving further BSF funding. However, the government has set out new criteria for allocating this funding earlier and the borough council is aiming to take this up.
Under the proposals, the Wokingham council will have to demonstrate how rebuilding or refurbishing schools would lead to higher educational standards and achievements and that the projects can be delivered within a specified timescale. These projects must also relate to the council’s draft core strategy, a blueprint for development for the next 20 years in the Wokingham Borough, to ensure there are enough secondary schools places to support the draft strategic development locations in North and South Wokingham, Arborfield and Shinfield.
Educational and social needs of the local community remain very much at the heart of any decisions made on funding and councils must be ready to deliver these projects within a specific timescale.
At its meeting on November 27, the ten-strong executive will be asked to agree to submit ‘an expression of interest’ to the DCSF. They will also agree four schools for the initial project and four schools for the follow up project. The initial project group is: The Bulmershe, The Emmbrook, The Forest and Southfield Special School. The follow-up group is: The Holt, Maiden Erlegh, The Piggott and St Crispin’s. Headteachers have been informed of this proposal. It is still early days and whilst the council has separated schools into two groups, this is not set in stone. The next step will be for the council to prepare a report, expected to be in the spring, setting out detailed proposals and feasibility studies.
Wokingham Cllr Jorgensen continued: “We are delighted to have been invited to put in an expression of interest again for BSF money and if successful, this will enable us to carry out the much needed major improvement works to our secondary schools.
“Our vision is for excellent children’s services and skills for all and we have made a long-term commitment to provide a high standard of education and we want to take every sensible opportunity to have the required investment in our schools.”
Cllr Norman Jorgensen, executive member for Wokingham children’s services, said: “Back in 2003 the council submitted its original proposals to the BSF programme but we were told that we would have to wait a significant amount of time before we would benefit from this funding as the government initially concentrated funding elsewhere. We are currently in wave 15, the final stage to receive this money. However, we do have one school being rebuilt under the BSF umbrella and we now have the opportunity to re-submit our proposals for the remainder.”
The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) recently invited all local authorities to re-submit their proposals to rebuild or refurbish schools under the BSF programme. In light of this, the council has set up a project group, made up of council officers and three secondary headteachers, to prepare the bid and consultation has been carried out with the borough-wide secondary federation.
Secondary headteachers have been consulted on how to prioritise schools for funding, if the bid is successful. The criteria agreed includes provisional 2008 GCSE results for five or more A* to C including English and maths, condition and suitability factors.
The Wokingham Borough is currently at least five years away from receiving further BSF funding. However, the government has set out new criteria for allocating this funding earlier and the borough council is aiming to take this up.
Under the proposals, the Wokingham council will have to demonstrate how rebuilding or refurbishing schools would lead to higher educational standards and achievements and that the projects can be delivered within a specified timescale. These projects must also relate to the council’s draft core strategy, a blueprint for development for the next 20 years in the Wokingham Borough, to ensure there are enough secondary schools places to support the draft strategic development locations in North and South Wokingham, Arborfield and Shinfield.
Educational and social needs of the local community remain very much at the heart of any decisions made on funding and councils must be ready to deliver these projects within a specific timescale.
At its meeting on November 27, the ten-strong executive will be asked to agree to submit ‘an expression of interest’ to the DCSF. They will also agree four schools for the initial project and four schools for the follow up project. The initial project group is: The Bulmershe, The Emmbrook, The Forest and Southfield Special School. The follow-up group is: The Holt, Maiden Erlegh, The Piggott and St Crispin’s. Headteachers have been informed of this proposal. It is still early days and whilst the council has separated schools into two groups, this is not set in stone. The next step will be for the council to prepare a report, expected to be in the spring, setting out detailed proposals and feasibility studies.
Wokingham Cllr Jorgensen continued: “We are delighted to have been invited to put in an expression of interest again for BSF money and if successful, this will enable us to carry out the much needed major improvement works to our secondary schools.
“Our vision is for excellent children’s services and skills for all and we have made a long-term commitment to provide a high standard of education and we want to take every sensible opportunity to have the required investment in our schools.”
Wokingham Borough Council
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