School reopening celebrated after £15.3M work

An academy on Stockton-on-Tees is the first secondary in England opened under the government’s priority school building programme.

Ian Ramsey Church of England Academy’s existing buildings have been replaced with brand new classrooms, a four-court sports hall, an activity studio and drama space. The rebuild is part of the government’s £4.4Bn priority school building programme (PSBP) to address 537 of the schools in England in the worst condition.

The academy is one of 31 schools across the North East of England to benefit from the PSBP.

Thanks to the programme, £15.3M has been spent completely renovating the school site, ensuring generations of pupils will have access to the best possible facilities for learning. The 1,200-place academy is also the first secondary school opened under PSBP.

Schools Minister Lord Nash said: “As part of our long-term economic plan we are investing in school buildings across the country, so we can transform the learning environment for tens of thousands of pupils and their teachers.

“The reopening of Ian Ramsey Church of England Academy marks a key milestone for the priority school building programme in the North East of England.

“As part of this government’s commitment to help young people reach their potential, we want all children to have access to the best possible schools and to learn in an environment that gives them the knowledge and skills to succeed in modern Britain. These new school buildings will provide modern, fit-for-purpose facilities for pupils and staff for many years to come.”

The Venerable Stuart Bain, Archdeacon of Sunderland, Chair of the Durham Diocesan Board of Education and Chair of the Dayspring Trust, said: “I know that the board are thrilled to see the new building opened and blessed by Bishop Mark, another step in Ian Ramsey’s development as a great diocesan school.”

Executive Headteacher Gill Booth said: “Today marks a special occasion for the students, staff, governors and stakeholders of Ian Ramsey Church of England Academy. The young people of today deserve to have the best facilities in which to grow and develop; this new building offers our young people a chance to flourish and learn within the best facilities that the 21st century can offer.”

Thanks to the PSBP, school buildings are being rebuilt faster and cheaper than those built under the previous school building initiative – Building Schools for the Future (BSF). Under BSF it took three years for construction work to begin. This was slashed to one year for the PSBP, with projects costing around a third less.

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