Oxfordshire secondary school to get Government funding boost

In March, Langtree School in Reading Road, Woodcote, close to the south Oxordshire and Berkshire border, had to put in ‘temporary arrangements’ for pupils to keep learning on-site as parts of the school estate have had to be closed.

Now the school is part of hundreds across the country to receive grants worth over £450 million to replace heating systems, mend roofs, and update electrical works, among others.

Lords William’s School in Thame will also receive funding.

The funding is part of a 10-year plan to deliver a decade of renewal for schools and colleges across England.

In September 2023 Langtree School partially closed due to flooding where water came in from the ceiling into the main reception building.

Schools minister Josh MacAlister said: “Opportunity for our children starts with a great education, and children can only learn well in buildings that are safe, warm and fit for purpose – not classrooms disrupted by leaking roofs, failing boilers and declining buildings.

“This funding will help schools tackle urgent issues before they become bigger and more costly problems.

Lord Williams’s School (Image: Lord Williams’s School)

“It is part of our longer-term plan to break the cycle of schools and colleges doing patch-and-mend repairs, by committing to unprecedented long-term funding to improve the school and college estate – because world-class classrooms are key in helping children to achieve and thrive.”

Hundreds of thousands of pupils across the country will benefit from more funding to improve their school buildings, including 103 schools in the south east, as part of the Government’s long-term plan to improve the school estate.

The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) grants will give 684 schools and sixth-form colleges funding to help to replace heating systems, mend roofs and update electrical works, among other projects, after years of declining buildings.

The funding forms part of a wider package of investment in programmes including the School Rebuilding Programme which is rebuilding and refurbishing 58 schools in the south east.

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These programmes form part of a 10 year plan to renew buildings across education, and are designed to ensure children can learn in classrooms fit for purpose – with high-quality and inspiring school buildings. 

By improving classrooms, the Government says it is providing the opportunities children need to succeed in education and prepare for future careers.

The Government is also investing at least £3.7 billion between 2025 and 2030 to support councils in providing places for children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision, and to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of mainstream settings.