West Berkshire schools to benefit from £43m investment

Projects include Highwood Copse and Trinity School, Newbury and Parsons Down, Thatcham

Schools across West Berkshire are to benefit from £43m of investment over the next three years.

West Berkshire Council plans to invest on new builds, expansion and improvement of schools, and the refurbishment of education-related care facilities across the district in its Education Capital Programme for 2020-2023.

The programme also includes provision for new equipment and services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Projects scheduled for completion over the next six months include Highwood Copse Primary School in Newbury, costing £7.7m.

Highwood has faced several delays owing to contractor changes and Dawnus Construction entering administration last year. The school is set to open in time for the September 2021 academic year.

Winchcombe Primary School will benefit from increased accommodation to cater for a greater number of pupils, costing £341,000.

Trinity School is having its main school building extended to provide a new science classroom and a larger two-storey extension to provide additional classrooms, costing £2.3m.

Additional projects scheduled for completion throughout 2021-2022 include merging Parsons Down infant and junior schools.

The council said that bringing the junior and infant schools together into the same building would "rationalise accommodation in line with pupil demand and improve financial efficiency".

The £1.5m project also includes the renovation and expansion of outdoor play areas.

The Willink School in Burghfield Common has undergone an expansion project to increase the size of the sports changing rooms.

A new English studies block with seven classrooms and associated facilities is also included and other rooms will be refurbished in the £2.9m project.

And following a successful funding bid, a separate project is under construction by the Department for Education to erect a new £14.8m building for Little Heath School in Tilehurst. Works are currently scheduled for completion by early 2021.

West Berkshire's executive member for children, young people and education, Dominic Boeck (Con, Aldermaston) said: "We are pleased to announce our spending plans, new builds and other works under way for schools and education services for the benefit of students, teachers and carers.

"Our education capital programme for 2020-2023 reflects the various and diverse needs across West Berkshire.

"This includes creating more school spaces in certain areas and catering for pupils with special needs.

"Although the onset of Covid-19 heavily impacted construction timetables over the past several months, we are now actively under way with progressing the rest of the projects scheduled for completion within the three-year programme."

The planned works follow the completion of the £8.8m site purchase and new build of Theale Primary School, refurbishment of the Castle Gate respite care home in Newbury (£128,000), Hungerford Primary School kitchen expansion (£417,000) and extensive repairs carried out at Falkland Primary School, Newbury (£474,000).

Project delivery team leader, finance and property at West Berkshire Council, Yvonne Mubanga, said: "With regards to refurbishment works, we have 65 projects on average per year. These works typically address heating and/or hot water supply, water ingress through roofs and/or windows, and renovating school playgrounds and playing fields.

"In the case of Falkland Primary School, we have undertaken much needed works on the roofing, cladding and windows; replaced ceilings throughout, refurbished toilets and replaced boilers.

"Our ongoing liaison with all stakeholders ensures that works are completed without compromising school operations as far as practicable."