Frustration as Wolverhampton school misses out on funds

Every other Black Country borough had at least two schools that were handed a share of the latest round of the £6 billion Priority Schools Building Programme.

The Government received bids from across the country and awarded money based on the condition of schools.

Sandwell, Dudley and Walsall councils each have two schools within their boroughs that were told they would get funding on Monday by education secretary Nicky Morgan.

Today it emerged Wolverhampton had applied for funding for 'essential' repairs to one primary school but did not reveal which one.

Wolverhampton City Council spokesman Paul Brown said: "The council submitted a bid to the second phase of the Priority School Building Programme in order to address essential repairs at one local primary school. "Unfortunately the application was unsuccessful and this work will now be considered as part of the council's schools capital programme.

"The council was successful in securing funding to carry out essential repairs at two primary schools in the first phase of the Priority School Building Programme and continues to develop education facilities fit for the 21st century through the primary school focused Primary Capital Programme and the secondary education focused Building Schools for the Future Programme."

However, the city was the only one of the four areas in 2010 whose Building Schools for the Future programme went ahead.

Other areas across the country were stripped of funding after the £55 billion project to rebuild or refurbish secondary schools was scrapped.

The city was able to go ahead with a £270m project.

In Dudley, Huntingtree Primary School in Halesowen and Ridgewood High School in Wollaston are to benefit from the £6 billion revamp scheme.

Others getting funding include Blue Coat Academy in Walsall, Abbey Infant School in Smethwick, Yew Tree Primary School, Great Barr School in Birmingham, and Castlechurch Primary School and Walton High School in Stafford among several schools in Staffordshire.

Sandwell Council, which saw its entire BSF programme scrapped, has called for the education secretary to offer more funding to the borough's schools. Its leader Darren Cooper says Sandwell needs an extra secondary school and an extra primary school in addition to refurbishment work.

Mrs Morgan said: "We've brought building costs down by a third.

"In these difficult economic times we've been able to invest billions in school buildings and do it more cost effectively. It means we can support more schools in being rebuilt or refurbished."