£800,000 boost for village schools

OVER £800,000 has been given to two schools in the Melksham area to help them make improvements to their school sites.

St Mary’s Broughton Gifford Primary School will receive £750,000 and Shaw Primary School will get £89,000 as part of the Government’s £466million ‘Condition Improvement Fund’, which aims to ensure children across the country enjoy good quality school buildings which are safe and fit for learning.

St Mary’s School will use their £750,000 to build a new school hall.

Headteacher, Pauline Orchard said, “We are absolutely delighted to learn that we have been awarded a grant of £750,000 for our latest school improvement initiative to create a school hall, improve fire safety and carry out the necessary safeguarding improvement works.

“Our current hall is unable to accommodate the growing numbers at Broughton Gifford.  It will allow us to seat all children for lunches; currently any child bringing sandwiches has to sit in a different class.  Indoor PE is difficult because the school hall is used to store tables and chairs for lunch, as well as PE mats and benches. School productions have to take place in the village hall because staging is impossible in the hall and we cannot seat all the parents who want to enjoy productions.

“The new configuration of the building will provide safe access to the school via a side entrance that will meet safeguarding requirements. The entrance to the school for visitors will be secure with no visitor coming directly into the library area and the building of walls to create a corridor within the school will make our fire route safe.

“The work on the refurbishment of the current school building will begin at the end of the summer term and then the school hall will be constructed over the following six months. The site will be made safe and secure, so that we can continue to function as a school during the period of the building work. We will work closely with the builders and the Diocese to ensure the work has little or no impact on the staff and children.

“Without the funding, the school would have been unable to fund a new school hall, although we recognise that we would have needed to carry out a planned refurbishment of each classroom as they have become ‘tired’ in the last few years. It is important for us as a school that we create a safe and bright learning environment for all who work in our school.”

Shaw Primary School will receive £89,000 to address a number of condition issues including new windows and doors and the removal of asbestos roofing.

Headteacher, Simon White said, “We are delighted to have been awarded £89,000. Over the past few years,  a lot of money has been invested in new buildings at Shaw, including a KS2 block and hall. However, there has not been funding to maintain the fabric of the old Victorian buildings and the later additions to the standards required.

“There is therefore a backlog of significant work needed in these areas.  This work includes replacing defective windows and doors, roofing works, replacing gutters and downpipes to solve damp issues and improving office space.

“Once completed, the works will ensure that all children are educated in safe, dry and warm accommodation and that improved space is provided for confidential  meetings with the headteacher.”