£10m fund for new classroom and staff rooms announced

More classrooms and staff rooms will be built in schools under a new £10 million grant scheme, unveiled by the Department for Education and Skills.

The 'Teaching Environments for the Future' programme will see funding funnelled into building new rooms or remodel existing accommodation in a number of schools around the country.

The £10 million grant is being shared amongst 18 LEAs that will pilot the new scheme, and a series of projects have now been given the go ahead.

Some schools will provide enhanced staff facilities for planning, preparation and assessment (PPA), on-the-spot work bases and crèches for teachers' children.

Other schools will be constructing new e-learning and resource centres for staff and pupils, while another project will provide an improved working environment for education and health professionals in a special school.

Schools Minister Stephen Twigg said: "I look forward to seeing the development and the construction of these new teaching environments. They will provide us with examples of how accommodation can be designed to assist with the government's objective of freeing up teachers to teach and enabling pupils to receive more individual attention."

An invitation to submit expressions of interest was sent out to all LEAs in March. They were informed that £10 million of grant was available, which we expected might fund around 20 projects.

A selection panel, representing educational, architectural and ICT interests, drew up the shortlist of preferred proposals that was further refined to fit within budget and programme.

(GmcG)