A DESPERATE plea for help to replace windows at a St John’s school has been handed a huge boost with just under £220,000 from a Government fund.
Christopher Whitehead Language College chiefs were left despondant when their bid in the annual building improvement bidding process failed to secure the cash.
Headteacher Neil Morris refused to be bowed by the rejection and contacted Worcester’s MP Robin Walker who made representations to Ministers at the Department for Education and after a resubmitted bid the funding was granted from the Government’s Condition Improvement Fund (CIF).
The funding will mean the windows at the school’s art block which are currently in a state of disrepair will be able to be replaced and Mr Morris said: “This will bring much-needed safety to students and teachers.”
The news came after other schools in the city had successful bids approved earlier in the year, including Bishop Perowne CofE College, who also received funding to repair windows; Nunnery Wood High School, who received funding for a boiler room project; Hollymount School, who will be able to fund site security improvements; and Carnforth School, who received funding for an outdoor play area.
CIF is an annual bidding round for academies and sixth-form colleges to apply for capital funding. The core priority is to address significant condition need, keeping buildings safe and in good working order. CIF also supports a small amount of expansion projects for those rated by Ofsted as good or outstanding. This includes expanding their existing facilities or floor space. This is to increase the number of admissions in the main year of entry or address overcrowding.
As in previous rounds, the fund was heavily oversubscribed so only those projects which demonstrated a high project need and aligned with CIF priorities have been able to be funded.
“I was very keen to support Christopher Whitehead’s appeal bid. Having visited the site and seen the disrepair for myself I made it a priority to impress upon Education Ministers the urgent need for this funding to be approved, and I am enormously glad that it now has been,” Mr Walker said.
“The Condition Improvement Fund offers a fantastic opportunity for schools to fund major building and repair projects and every year I am keen to support any local bids who schools submit. This year saw five Worcester schools succeed in their bids, up from four the previous year.”
“I want to thank Neil Morris for bringing Christopher Whitehead’s case to my attention and I am glad I was able to support his tireless work at the school in advocating for this funding.”
