Schools secure £220,000

The council has received £220,000 from the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) as part of a £750,000 boost to safety, accessibility and learning and play facilities at York schools.

The £220,000 is money from the Government's Seed Challenge Fund - aimed at boosting schools' own fundraising by providing match-funding of up to 50 per cent of the cost of a project.

The council said schools were being encouraged to be creative in ways of generating their own share of the project money through sponsorship, donations and PTA events as well as using devolved capital budgets.

Among the biggest recipients of Seed Challenge cash are the following schemes:

- The creation of an IT suite at Yearsley Grove Primary School

(£58,000 Seed Challenge Fund cash)

- The refurbishment of two science labs at Joseph Rowntree School completing a council-led scheme (£40,000 SCF money)

- Work towards providing a link building at Upper Poppleton Primary School to aid school amalgamation and a similar scheme at Westfield Primary

School (£20,000 and £10,000 of SCF cash respectively)

- The development of an IT suite and community room at Stockton-on-the-Forest Primary School (£11,500 SCF cash)

- Improvements to perimeter security at Poppleton Road Primary School

(£11,500 SCF cash).

In all, 17 schools will benefit this year. Other projects include improved security at Northfield School, extra special-needs space at Huntington School, the development of an early years unit at Osbaldwick Primary School and improved playground facilities at Our Lady's RC Primary School.

Coun Janet Looker, executive member for education, said: "Our work with schools to secure Seed Challenge money is another example of our determination to work creatively and to look at all kinds of ways of improving the learning environment for children in York's schools."

Updated: 11:56 Thursday, April 04, 2002