It’s been announced over a million pounds will be spent on improvements to Ruddington’s Infant & Nursery School.
£1.18 million of funding will be given to upgrade the building infrastructure, replace its flat roof covering and insulation, and improve the environmental performance of James Peacock School in Manor Park – much of which dates from 1967.
It’s a significant portion of the latest programme of school infrastructure expenditure on twenty of the county’s primary and infant schools which has just been unveiled by Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC). Worth a total of £9.2m, the investment is part of NCC’s school building improvement work for 2023/4 which, it says, will be designed and delivered by ‘Arc Partnership’; a joint venture between the council and SCAPE.
NCC Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Tracey Taylor, says: “This investment is all part of our long-term commitment to improving school buildings. We want to make sure young people have the right type of learning environment where they can thrive.”
Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Asset Management, Councillor Keith Girling, adds: “It’s vital we invest in our schools’ infrastructure. Young people deserve to study and learn in buildings which are fit-for-purpose. This latest programme of works will also help school buildings be more energy efficient and save on bills.”
Whilst NCC has a duty to maintain school infrastructure, the day-to-day maintenance tasks are the responsibility of the respective schools. It’s claimed this collaborative approach helps to ensure that schools in Ruddington and elsewhere can address immediate maintenance needs whilst allowing the council to focus on larger infrastructure projects and improvements.
Unfortunately it’s understood this infrastructure work will not create any additional capacity at James Peacock School. This is despite the shortage of school places highlighted in April this year when, much to their dismay, a number of new Ruddington families were told their child would have to start school life elsewhere.
