Melksham schools net hundreds of thousands in Government grants

HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds have been given to schools in the Melksham area to help them make improvements to their school buildings.

Five local primary schools were given a chunk of the Government’s £54million ‘Condition Improvement Fund’ last month for repairs to their roofs, fences and facilities.

River Mead, The Manor, Bowerhill Primary, Shaw Primary and St. George’s in Semington will all benefit from the scheme, which aims to make sure children have access to top quality school buildings.

River Mead School, on Lowbourne, was granted over £300,000 towards a new roof, which the school will part-fund.

River Mead’s business manager Gina Shanahan said, “We’re very pleased to have been given this grant – we couldn’t have gone ahead with the project without it.

“The money will be used to replace the school’s flat roof, which is beyond the end of its life, and for new skylights on the school and nursery buildings. The roof has been leaking and both the staff and students suffer when there are buckets lying around, and the interior will start to deteriorate and look shabby. It could become a health and safety worry as well.”

The Manor School and Shaw Primary School received around £48,000 each for roof and fencing repairs (The Manor) and fire safety improvements (Shaw).

Simon White, headteacher of Shaw Primary School said, “This was part of a larger bid from Shaw School and although unsuccessful in the full bid, we are delighted that we will be able to further enhance the safety of our buildings for the benefit of all pupils and staff.

“This is another great advantage of being part of the Academy Trust of Melksham – without it we would not have been able to bid for this money.”

St. George’s Primary School in Semington also received a grant for roof repairs, and Bowerhill Primary School will use the money to refurbish its toilets.

When announcing the grants Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said, “Every child should be taught in surroundings which allow them to fulfil their potential, and we have made significant investments in school buildings to ensure this happens.

“The latest funding from the Condition Improvement Fund will help us to build on our progress, so that even more pupils and teachers have access to safe, high-quality classrooms.”