Facilities for disabled youngsters being taught in mainstream schools in York and North Yorkshire are to be given a boost.

It follows a Government announcement that more than £11 million will be made available for a range of improvement schemes in every local education authority in England.

North Yorkshire County Council has been told it can borrow up to £105,000, while it was confirmed York schools will get their hands on £35,000 during the next financial year.

In North Yorkshire, the money will be used to install a second disabled lift at Brayton High School, near Selby, at a cost of nearly £50,000.

A spokesman for the county council said around £25,000 would be used to improve groundfloor access, with ramps, short stair lifts and hand rails, at Whitby College.

The remaining £30,000 will be used for individual statemented pupils, to help buy specialist Information Technology equipment and to make minor alterations in a variety of schools across the county.

Beverley Scanlon, principal planning officer for City of York Council's education department, said the £35,000 announcement, although expected, was "good news". She said the council had received similar cash funding in previous years, but last year's borrowing allowance was only £15,000.

"We will be using the money for access improvements in about 12 primary and secondary schools, subject to education committee approval," she said. "Some of the money will be spent on ramps, grab rails and disabled access for toilets.

"And some of the cash will also be used to buy special portable sensory equipment, which can be moved from school to school throughout the city."

Miss Scanlon reaffirmed an earlier pledge, reported in the Evening Press, that officers will be recommending Fulford School receives £6,000 towards its Lift Off Appeal.

The secondary school is in a race against time to raise £40,000 to install a lift so disabled pupils can gain access to the sixth-form.

Fundraisers are almost half-way to reaching their target.

Schools Minister Estelle Morris said: "We are committed to promoting the inclusion of children with special educational needs within mainstream schools wherever possible.

"We aim to remove barriers which get in the way of meeting the needs of all children."

She said more than 1,100 schools were set to benefit from the cash boost.

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