Schools get go-ahead for £60m revamp plan

A £60 million project to rebuild and revamp three secondary schools in one Black Country borough has been approved by the Education Secretary.

The schools will be transformed in Sandwell under the Building Schools for the Future programme.

It comes just months after £138m plans to rebuild nine other schools in the borough were scrapped as part of Government cuts.

But Michael Gove has told Sandwell Council it can negotiate final contracts for the rebuilding projects at Oldbury College of Sport, Wednesbury Learning Campus, and Alexandra High School in Tipton.

Sandwell Council worked with Partnerships for Schools, the quango overseeing BSF, to show why the schemes should go ahead.

Sandwell education bosses today welcomed the announcement, but pleaded with Mr Gove to allow them to reprieve the axed schemes.

Council leader Councillor Darren Cooper said: "Today's announcement is good news for the pupils who will now have the chance to learn in 21st century schools.

"I congratulate Michael Gove for his decision and ask him to give other children the same chance by reprieving the nine projects he has axed.

"Unless he does so, his legacy will be new schools for a minority of pupils."

Wednesbury Learning Campus in Hydes Road and Oldbury College of Sport will each get £20m worth of rebuilding.

Alexandra High School and Batman's Hill Pupil Referral Unit in Tipton will be renamed the Tipton Learning Campus and get a £17m investment.

Schools in Sandwell were devastated in July when schemes proposed under the BSF programme were cut. Local education bosses had been told all schemes would be safe.

Sandwell Council is taking legal action against the Government.