North East schools left in disrepair over funding challenges

Statistics from Schools North East have shown that only 20 per cent of applications to the Condition Improvement Fund from schools in the region are successful, compared with more than a third across all of England.

This comes after a survey of more than 1,000 school leaders, carried out by the education leaders union NAHT, found that four out of five headteachers said they lack the funding needed to maintain their school buildings.

School windows in a state of disrepair (Image: PA MEDIA)

In the same report, NAHT said nearly a fifth of respondents reported that parts of their school facilities cannot be maintained, and some schools and pupils were forced to use classrooms that are damp and mouldy.

Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East, said: "If the government is serious about ‘levelling-up’, then it is vital that the basic needs of schools, such as the condition of buildings and estates, are met.

"Schools urgently need a strategic plan that supports the many challenges that North East schools are facing, including the condition of school buildings."

Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East (Image: SCHOOLS NORTH EAST)

In County Durham, reports of cracks in walls and floors, freezing classrooms and schools in "dire states," have led to City of Durham MP Mary Kelly Foy urging that "our children deserve better".

The MP, who was first elected in 2019, said she has been contacted by desperate secondary headteachers, who invited her to see the environment that pupils were learning in and staff were teaching in - which ranged from leaking roofs, freezing classrooms, poorly ventilated rooms, upper floors with no disabled access and a site prone to flooding.

Ms Kelly Foy said: "After 14 years of Tory failure, our children deserve better. The Labour Party will break down the barriers to opportunity, so our young people in Durham have the chance to reach their full potential.

City of Durham MP Mary Kelly Foy (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

"It’s because of the above that I’ve secured debates and asked questions in Parliament about the school estate. There comes a point when the government must listen, but even with evidence in reports, like this one from the NAHT, I just don’t know when that will happen."

The City of Durham MP also cited St Leonard's and its RAAC problem - calling it "six months of disruption to pupil's education since September due to the indifference of the Department for Education".

Despite Ms Kelly Foy's claims, Conservative MPs in the North East have chosen to focus on the "quality of education" at schools in their constituencies. 

Simon Clarke, Conservative MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland also pointed to plans to rebuild Skelton Primary for £10m, while Lockwood and Lingdale Primaries are also scheduled for rebuilding.

Simon Clarke, Conservative MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (Image: PA MEDIA)

Mr Clarke said: "Schools in England have seen significant improvements over the last 14 years, with education standards rising sharply. Eighty-nine per cent of schools are now rated Good or Outstanding by the independent inspectors at Ofsted, up from 68 per cent when Labour left office.

"We remain committed to ensuring our schools provide the best learning environments for our children."

Jacob Young, Conservative MP for Redcar, added: "I commend our teachers for their incredible dedication to delivering high-quality education.

"Schools across the country have made remarkable progress, with significant improvements in education standards since 2010 and the government's landmark reforms.

Jacob Young, Conservative MP for Redcar (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

"We’re investing in schools across Teesside and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that schools in Redcar & Cleveland receive the support they need to thrive."

However, Stockton South MP, Labour's Alex Cunningham, has painted a different picture of education in Teesside - saying that schools are having to make continued cuts to budgets.

He said: "Many of the schools across the Stockton Borough were either opened or during the last Labour Government’s term in offices. 

"Sadly the Tory government cancelled the Building Schools for the Future programme in 2010 though a few more schools have been replaced in recent years. 

Stockton South MP, Labour's Alex Cunningham (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

"The issue now is with maintenance budgets which are falling well short of what is needed for the schools to do ongoing repairs leading to greater problems in the longer term."  

Mr Cunningham added: "This lack of resource is the same when it comes to staffing and other costs – schools face making cuts as their increased costs in terms of wages and equipment haven’t been matched by government funding. 

"This is extremely shortsighted by the Government – how on earth can we properly prepare our children for the future when teachers have to spend so much time trying to balance the books?"

School pupils in a lesson (Image: PA MEDIA)

Off the back of the issues highlighted in the NAHT report, the Department for Education has said that multi-million pound projects were taking place to address the issues found in schools across England. 

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Schools and sixth form colleges will benefit from £1.8 billion this financial year to help maintain their buildings, taking the total amount of funding to over £17 billion since 2015, and our school rebuilding programme is transforming buildings at over 500 schools over the next decade.

“It is up to responsible bodies such as local authorities and trusts to make their own decisions on investment in their schools each year.

Mouldy and leaking ceilings in a school (Image: PA MEDIA)

“We offer additional emergency support on a case-by-case basis to schools which face significant issues that could risk building closures – and in just a matter of months we have completed our identification programme and confirmed how we will fund removal of Raac from our schools and colleges for good.”

Meanwhile, two schools in the North East that faced part-closure when RAAC was found in both locations are set to welcome back pupils after getting the problem rectified. 

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St James Catholic Primary School in Hebburn and St John Bosco Primary School in Sunderland - both part of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust - were closed when the government announced schools, where RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) was present, would need to close for inspections and remediation work.

This week, pupils of St John Bosco and St James schools donned hard hats, ear defenders and high-vis jackets as they went to inspect the work being conducted at their school sites.

St James is hoping to reopen its doors to pupils properly in May, but a date is yet to be set for the pupils’ return to St John Bosco following the remediation works.