£100 million cash boost for Walsall primary schools
Date Published : 12 November 2008
More than £100million has been allocated to Walsall primary schools to fund ambitious improvements over the next decade, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) announced today.
Walsall Council is one of just 41 local authorities across the country whose educational strategies met all of the core requirements set by the DCSF.
A total of 148 local authorities out of 150 submitted strategies and aside from the 41 which were approved, 92 councils were considered to have areas of weakness which need to be addressed before continued funding will be confirmed.
A total of 15 councils failed in their bids and will have to resubmit applications next year.
Councillor Zahid Ali, Walsall Council cabinet member for children’s services, said: “This is a fantastic day for Walsall’s children as well as the borough’s committed staff, parents and carers.
“Walsall Council works in partnership with Serco to support, challenge and inspire schools to provide the children of Walsall with the education they deserve.
"The many months of hard work in putting this bid together and our endless meetings with ministers in exerting pressures has reaped rewards. I want to congratulate all of our staff who have worked tirelessly to make this a success.
“I am delighted that our sound educational strategy has been recognised at a national level and that the DCSF is giving us this opportunity to invest in the future.”
Sally Brookes, DCSF deputy director, Schools Capital, commended Walsall’s Primary Strategy for Change.
She said: “This strategy provides a good summary of vision and local perspective, underpinned by sound principles.
“There is a very thorough and wide-ranging analysis of need with a clear and ambitious long term vision linked to this analysis.”
Following today’s announcement, Walsall Children’s Services, Serco will consult with key partners to drive the programme forward.