188体育

Thousands of schools across England are to benefit from a 拢2.4 billion cash injection, Education Secretary Justine Greening announced today (3 April 2017).

It comes as new government figures show that almost 735,000 additional school places have been created since 2010 - with 92% of new primary places and 89% of new secondary places created in schools rated as 鈥榞ood鈥� or 鈥榦utstanding鈥� by Ofsted in 2015 to 2016.

Local councils say they need to create over 230,000 primary and secondary school places nationally between 2017 and 2020. The funding announced today will provide a further boost to the government鈥檚 drive to help create over 600,000 extra places by 2021, which will generate additional capacity to meet local demand.

Schools, local authorities and academy trusts will also receive a share of 拢1.4 billion to invest in upgrading or improving their school buildings. As part of this, academies and sixth-form colleges throughout the country, will receive a total of 拢466 million to pay for almost 1,500 vital school building work projects.

As part of its , the government wants every child to have access to a 鈥榞ood鈥� school place, giving them the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the future.

Alongside this multi-billion pound investment, the government is considering wider proposals to ensure school standards continue to rise by creating more 鈥榞ood鈥� places in every part of the country.

These proposals include lifting the ban on new grammar schools - on the strict condition they improve the education of other pupils in the system - as well as harnessing the expertise and resources of our universities, and our independent and faith schools.

Education Secretary Justine Greening said:

Our Plan for Britain is to build a fairer society, with a good school place available for every child.

This 拢2.4 billion investment, together with our proposals to create more good school places, will help ensure every young person has the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

The 拢2.4 billion allocated today is part of more than 拢24 billion the government has committed to investing in the school estate between 2015 to 2021.

Notes to editors

1. We have announced 拢2.4 billion of capital funding allocations to create new school places across the country, and to maintain and improve the condition of school buildings.

This funding comprises 拢980 million of funding allocations for local authorities in 2019 to 2020, to create over 60,000 school places needed. This is part of a wider investment of 拢7 billion in the course of this Parliament which, alongside our investment in the free schools programme, we expect to create an additional 600,000 places by 2021.

The funding also comprises 拢1.4 billion of funding allocations for schools, local authorities and academy trusts to invest in improving the condition of the school estate. This includes 拢466 million through the Condition Improvement Fund to fund 1,435 projects across 1,184 academies and sixth-form colleges.

2. The government鈥檚 鈥榮chools that work for everyone鈥� consultation closed in December last year (2016). The responses are currently being considered, and the government will respond shortly.

3. The government has also published today: * an updated school capacity survey data for 2015 to 2016 that shows the number of places that have been created since 2010 * updated school place scorecards for every local authority that show how many school places have been created in 鈥榞ood鈥� and 鈥榦utstanding schools鈥� in 2015 to 2016