'We face an enormous backlog of repairs' say Government, as MP asks when shovels will hit the ground?
The Education Secretary has told us she knows some Devon schools urgently need rebuilding - but can't say when work will start
The Education Secretary has told us she knows one Devon school has now been waiting 26 years for a rebuild - and she can't confirm when work will start.
Bridget Phillipson has met with the local MP for Tiverton, where the High School has been promised a rebuild since 1999.
She says work is planned - just not yet, adding: "We face an enormous backlog of repairs and building programmes because the last Government just didn't invest in the schools estate and it will take us time to turn that around but we're keen to see as many projects proceed as quickly as possible.
"I met with the local MP Rachel Gilmour who's made the case for the rebuild of the school and we do recognise the importance and the need to get the rebuild underway. It is part of our rebuilding programme and through the budget we were able to invest over £2 billion into the school rebuilding programme.
"When we had the RAAC (a lightweight alternative to reinforced concrete) crisis that really demonstrated to the public I think just how enormous the challenge was but actually RAAC is only part of that much bigger issue about the state of many schools buildings across our country - the state of what we've inherited is shocking."
Having received confirmation of the school’s inclusion in the Government’s Phase Two of the Schools Rebuilding Programme, Mrs Gilmour - in follow-up correspondence – has pushed for a specific date by which shovels would be hitting the soil at Tiverton High School
The Tiverton and Minehead’s MP has also underlined the 'gaps in Sixth Form provision in the constituency, with only West Somerset College and Petroc in Mid Devon providing further education, students also choose to pursue other education opportunities in Exeter, Taunton, or Bridgwater'.
Mrs Gilmour explained to the Secretary of State how this situation was compounded by the inadequacy of public transport connectivity in her predominantly rural area. In painting the local picture, Mrs. Gilmour made the case for the Government to consider the establishment of further Sixth Form facilities and has offered to facilitate a meeting between key stakeholders.
The MP says she 'also wasted no time in raising the sorry state of Special Educational Needs provision across the constituency' - warning delays to Educational Health and Care Plan rollout occurred on 95% of occasions in Devon, and in 58% of cases in Somerset. Against this backdrop, Mrs. Gilmour sought to identify whether there was any appetite to explore the upgrading of empty school property into functional SEN-capable sites.