£498k funding boost for Chorley school (From Chorley Citizen)

£498k funding boost for Chorley school

8:00am Tuesday 5th March 2013 in News By Chris Gee, Reporter

A school in Chorley has won the second largest share of a £3.67million investment programme to improve educational facilities.

More than 20 bids were forthcoming from headteachers countywide for the county council’s capital strategy for schools.

Ten were successful, it has been announced, based on the most pressing basic need and conditions survey, including Southlands High, Chorley.

The Clover Road school has been awarded just over £498,000 It is the largest single allocation and the money will go on refurbishing two food technology classrooms and creating a learning resource area.

Headteacher Mark Fowle said: “Our food technology classrooms are very dated so we will be able to completely refurbish our kitchens. It is going to mean we can install new equipment and units which will improve what we can offer in terms of food and catering.

“It is one of our most popular GCSE courses and it supports the agenda which encourages more students to acquire their own catering skills.”

Helen Denton, the county council’s schools executive director, said in a report: “The absence of funding to address suitability issues at secondary school level means that many schools cannot afford to carry out projects aimed at replacing and updating facilities which are important for their day-to-day activities and curriculum delivery.

Bids ranging from £100,000 to £500,000, from a £3.7million pot, were first invited in March 2012. This year’s programme has primarily concentrated on capacity requirements at primary school level.