Joseph Leckie Academy granted funding

On 5 April 2017 Joseph Leckie Academy’s application to the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) 2017- 2018 was approved.

I am delighted that Joseph Leckie Academy’s application to the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) 2017- 2018 was approved after hopes were dashed in previous applications, despite the school being allocated money under Building Schools for the Future.

Everyone connected with Joseph Leckie Academy were disappointed when the application in December 2015, was rejected. The school was just 3 points short of obtaining sufficient points and appealed this outcome in July 2016 but this was also rejected. The Head Teacher Keith Whittlestone and I gave the Minister for Schools, Nick Gibb MP, a tour of the school in January 2016 and met at the Department of Education in June 2016 to discuss the CIF.

I wrote to the Secretary of State for Education in August 2016 to outline Joseph Leckie’ s urgent need for extra funding and highlight issues with the guidance published for applicants to the 2016- 2017 round.

The core priority of CIF is keeping academy and sixth-form college buildings safe and in good working order. All of the experts who inspected the school concluded that the main block is life-expired. The School has been in need of £4 million worth of funds to replace the main block and upgrade the dining area.

Blue Coat Church of England Academy also had its application to CIF successfully approved. I visited the school in my constituency in October 2016 and wrote a letter to the Chief Executive of the Education Funding Agency to outline the issues. This extra funding will allow the school to carry out vital repairs.

Students will now be able to study in an environment that will help them reach their full potential.