MORE THAN 40 HAVE QUALIFIED FOR FUNDING - AND THERE'S A POT OF £470 MILLION 19:15, 30 May 2025 A total of 41 schools and colleges in Greater Manchester will get much-needed Government

funding for vital building repair and maintenance work. The list, confirmed on Friday, includes nine schools in Bolton and eight in Bury, but just one each in both Salford and Rochdale.

Nationally, pupils at 656 schools and sixth forms will benefit from a share of this year's £470 million Condition Improvement Fund (CIF), used for projects like fixing crumbling roofs

and removing potentially dangerous old asbestos. One primary school in Bury - Summerseat Methodist - will get cash to 'eliminate dry rot', said the Government in today's

autumn budget, will be spent on repairing crumbling schools - and hospitals - across the country. Projects to deliver improvements to schools will be delivered during the 2025/26 financial

year, with the first upgrades to begin this summer, the Government added. More than 100 schools, nurseries and colleges across England were forced to shut down days before the autumn term in

2023 amid concerns that classrooms and other buildings containing reinforced autoclaved concrete (Raac) were unsafe. Article continues below Schools and colleges had to bid for the funding.

The amount of money that's been made available for this financial year is said to have increased, but the number of successful bids has fallen. No individual school sums have been

revealed. There were 116 successful schools in the north west. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "The defining image of the school estate under the previous Government was

children sitting under steel props to stop crumbling concrete falling on their heads. It simply isn't good enough. Parents expect their children to learn in a safe, warm environment.

It’s what children deserve and it is what we are delivering. _JOIN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS WHATSAPP GROUP HERE_ "This investment is about more than just buildings – it's about

showing children that their education matters, their futures matter, and this Government is determined to give them the best possible start in life." HERE'S THE FULL GREATER

MANCHESTER LIST: BURY: * Old Hall Primary School * Greenmount Primary School * St Thomas Church of England Primary School * Wesley Methodist Primary School * Tottington Primary School *

Summerseat Methodist Primary School - eliminate dry rot * Peel Brow School * St Stephen's Church of England Primary School STOCKPORT: * Romiley Primary School * Marple Hall School. * St

Elisabeth's Church of England Primary WIGAN: * Winstanley College * St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College * Tyldesley Primary School * Platt Bridge Community School * Manchester: *

Manchester Communication Academy * Manchester Communication Primary Academy * Whalley Range 11-18 High School * West Didsbury CE Primary School * St Wilfrid's CofE Aided Primary School

Northenden * Lily Lane Primary School Tameside: * Audenshaw School * Rosehill Methodist Primary Academy * Dane Bank Primary School * St George's CofE Primary School Trafford: *

Wellington School * Loreto Grammar School Bolton: * St Bede Academy * Prestolee Primary School * Sharples School * St James CofE Primary School, Farnworth * Tonge Moor Primary Academy * St

Maxentius CofE Primary School * Ladywood School * Washacre Primary Academy * St John Church of England Primary School, Farnworth Oldham: * The Crompton House Church of England Academy * St

John's Church of England Primary School * St Thomas CofE Primary School Rochdale: * Bamford Academy Salford: * Moss Valley Primary Academy The Department for Education has confirmed a

£2.1 billion investment for the school estate for 2025/26, almost £300 million more than the previous year. Article continues below Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union

NAHT, described the funding boost for school buildings as a “welcome start”. But he added: “It is clear that much more Government investment and a long-term plan is needed to restore the

school estate to at least a satisfactory condition.” Julia Harnden, funding specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “The wider problem is that there is a

massive £13.8 billion maintenance backlog across the school estate and we are still nowhere near the level of investment needed to address this. "The fact that schools and sixth form

colleges have to bid for funding for urgent repairs and maintenance is in itself a sign of the inadequacy of overall investment and is effectively an annual exercise in papering over the

cracks."