Hayle Community College is one of six schools included in a Cornwall Council application for funding from the Government’s Priority Schools Building Programme.

Minister of State David Laws announced in May that the Government was allocating £2 billion for the second phase of the PSBP programme to fund major rebuilding and refurbishment projects to address the needs of schools in the very worst condition. 

Hayle Community College was listed as one of six in Cornwall in need of funding, so that work can be carried out on block one which provides general teaching and block six, which includes the sports hall.

The Government has set very strict criteria for applying for the PSB2 programme, with funding only available for schools which need to be either completely rebuilt or where a building needs major refurbishment works. 

The council commissioned locally based architects to visit schools who had confirmed their wish to be included in the Council’s submission for the Priority Schools Building Programme to carry out surveys to identify whether or not the schools met the criteria.   Following consideration of these reports and previous information on schools’ condition held by the Council, six schools were identified as meeting the criteria for submissions for funding.  Schemes at a further seven schools were initially considered but did not meet the Government’s criteria for funding.

As well as Hayle, the council’s Access and Infrastructure Team has submitted expressions of interest for Helston College, Humphrey Davey School, Budehaven Community School, Treviglas Community College, and Biscovey Nursery and Infant Community School, with an independent bid being put forward by Tretherras School in Newquay.

Andrew Wallis, the Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: "We are delighted the Government has allocated a further £2 billion to improve the conditions of schools across England and will be working hard to ensure that schools in Cornwall benefit from this funding. 

The criteria for applying for the funding was very strict which meant that we were not able to include all the schools we initially considered but we are confident that these six schools have a very strong case.  I would like to thank the Council staff and the headteachers and governors from the schools for their hard work in putting together the expressions of interest which we have submitted today.

“We are hopeful that the Government will look carefully at the submissions and will also be working with our MPs to secure this much needed funding.”  

The Council anticipates that the total value of the works needed to be carried out at the six schools is in the region of £40 million, however, any final value of schemes will be decided by the Education Funding Agency (EFA), should the schools be identified as meeting the criteria and of high enough priority by the EFA to include in the programme.  

The Council is hopeful that the Education Funding Agency and the Government will consider all the schemes put forward by the authority. The decision on the submission is expected sometime in December.