Home / 4,000 school buildings need urgent restoration work
4,000 school buildings need urgent restoration work
EB News: 09/12/2019 - 10:18
A Guardian investigation has found that nearly one in five school buildings in England require urgent repairs.
Almost 4,000 schools across the country have been judged by surveyors to be in need of immediate restoration work.
What's more, many were found not to have the paperwork required by law, including electrical test certificates, fire risk assessments or asbestos management plans.
Angela Rayner, Labour’s shadow education secretary, has criticised the Conservative government for cutting funding for education which has lead to a "crisis in school buildings".
She said: “The Tories have slashed funding for education and now we are seeing the consequences. Across the country schools are in dire need of repair but the funding simply isn’t available to get them into a fit state.
“That failure to invest has left our children and hard working school staff at risk, trying to teach in buildings that are crumbling around them.
“Only Labour will deliver the real change our schools need, ensuring every school building is a safe and secure place to learn.”
Free specialist training is being made available to teachers in Wales to give them the knowledge to understand and respond to the challenges faced by adopted and care experienced children.
Members of the newly formed Youth Select Committee have launched a call for evidence as part of their inquiry into Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education in secondary schools.
A new report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) warns that the current system for registering children for Free School Meals (FSM) is failing to reach many of the most disadvantaged pupils.
The government has announced a mandatory reading test for all children in year 8, which it says will help identify gaps early and target help for those who need it, while enabling the most-able to go further.