£30m boost for all area's primary schools
Thursday, November 13, 2008, 09:00
North East Lincolnshire will receive the investment from the Department of Children, Schools and Families over 14 years.
Edward Heneage Primary School and Woodlands Primary School buildings, both in Grimsby, will be the first to benefit – and will be demolished and rebuilt.
Education chiefs have yet to name five other primary schools which will also be rebuilt.
And, in an extra boost to local education, the Primary Capital Programme will also link in with senior school improvements – providing campuses covering 0 to 19 years on two sites.
Celebrating the news of the new school building at Edward Heneage Primary School are headteacher Julie Platt with pupils Ellis Brinklow (10) and Salema Khatun (10).
As reported, all secondary schools within North East Lincolnshire are being rebuilt or remodelled with a separate £100-million Government Building Schools For The Future grant.
The Telegraph can reveal today that education chiefs have earmarked Whitgift and Humberston Schools for 0 to 19 years campuses – using cash from both projects.
It will be an extra boost to post-16 education facilities in the Cleethorpes area – and further strengthens the role of Whitgift, which two years ago was threatened with closure amid the surplus places row.
Work on building new primary schools will start next year.
NELC head of capital and assets Wendy Fisher said: "It is an exciting time. We have already been holding design team meetings to discuss Edward Heneage and Woodlands' new schools and talked with governors.
"This means we can transform the education of pupils and provide an ideal situation for 21st Century learning. It supports our aims for the Every Child Matters strategy."
She added: "With the creation of the East and West Gateway For Learning we shall be planning 0-19 years campuses and under the plans for Building Schools For The Future we will be looking at Whitgift and Humberston schools to have primary schools."
The education chief said Information Technology facilities in all primary schools will be improved as part of the £30-million investment.
Edward Heneage headteacher Julie Platt said: "All the pupils are excited and the parents are delighted. It is an area of the town that does not normally come top, but this will make it a centre for the community."
And pupil Somir Uddin (eight) added : "This is a good school but I am looking forward to it getting a new building.
"It has been old and standing for a few years so it will be good.
"I'm excited that I will be part of one of the newest schools in Grimsby and can carry on enjoying maths!"
New primary schools story - Celebrating the news of the new school building at Edward Heneage Primary School in Grimsby are headteacher Julie Platt with pupils from the after-school IT Club.
Joe Calzaghe at the Beachcomber


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