January 7, 2014 2.23 pm This story is over 127 months old

Extra £31m for Lincolnshire school places capacity

Funds for school places: More children in Lincolnshire will be guaranteed places at their chosen schools due to extra funding for additional spaces.
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More children in Lincolnshire will be guaranteed places at their chosen schools due to extra funding for additional spaces.

The government announced an extra £2.35 billion to create more school places across the UK, with £31,817,222 set for Lincolnshire between 2014 and 2017.

This is the first time Lincolnshire County Council gained three-year allocations of funding to spend on school places.

The funding in Lincolnshire will also help to support a number of new schools being built around the county to keep up with demand.

The government hopes ensuring places for pupils will help more children reach their full potential.

Councillor Patricia Bradwell, Executive Councillor for Children’s Services, said: “We welcome this news which will give us essential funding at a time when there is increased pressure on additional school places across the county.

“The County Council has a statutory duty to ensure that there are a sufficient number of available places at schools and academies and a three-year allocation will give us more scope to plan further ahead to ensure we meet the needs of the children and families of Lincolnshire.

“This £31.8m is in addition to the substantial capital programme for 2012-2014 of £26.9 million for projects to add much needed capacity across the county.

“We already have new schools on the way in areas of the county, including Spalding, Skegness, Gainsborough and Bourne.

“The extra allocation of funding will allow more effective planning and prioritisation of investment in the areas that will need it most.”

Lincoln’s Conservative MP Karl McCartney added: “The last Labour government ignored the fact that rising birth rates meant we will need thousands more school places in the coming years, and did nothing to prepare.

“It is great news for young people in the City of Lincoln that this government has found billions of extra funding to ensure every child has a place at school so that they can fulfil their potential.

“This is part of our long-term plan to create an education system that gives young people who want to work hard the skills they need to get on in life and have a more secure and better future.”