David Davis says new funding for Wolfreton School is “an exciting development for the whole local community”

As reported in The Hull Daily Mail:

“Wolfreton School, Withernsea High School and Hessle High School have been told funding will be made available for new buildings.

A TRIO of East Riding schools are in line for multi-million-pound new buildings after the Government agreed to fund the schemes as a priority.

Wolfreton School, Withernsea High School and Hessle High School have been told funding will be made available to accelerate the Government’s priority school building programme.

A new secondary could be built at Wolfreton’s lower school site in Carr Lane, Willerby, which would see the disposal of the upper school site at Kirk Ella. Withernsea High School would get new buildings. Hessle High School, which is an academy, would also get purpose-built new buildings.

Councillor Julie Abraham, East Riding Council’s portfolio holder for children, young people and education, welcomed the news.

She said: “Our aspiration for Wolfreton is for a complete new-build. We are hoping to consolidate on one site but obviously we have to wait and see what the exact detail of the funding package is.

“At Withernsea High School, we would keep a new block that has just opened, but, essentially, there would be a lot of new-builds there and replacement work.”

Previous surveys have indicated up to £40m needed spending at Wolfreton, £20m at Withernsea and £36m at Hessle but the Government will expect lower costs.

Wolfreton headteacher Dave McCready said the school is very excited about the prospect of new facilities for students.

He said: “The plan has always been to consolidate the school on one site and this would involve significant new build but until we meet with our assigned project director in September we will not know what our allocated funding will allow.”

Haltemprice and Howden MP David Davis said parts of Wolfreton’s site are in urgent need of repair.

He said: “Pupils and teachers at Wolfreton School will benefit enormously from the new facilities, which are an exciting development for the whole local community.”

Hessle High headteacher Sarah Young also expects to meet the project director for her scheme in September.

She said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to secure the highest levels of education in a purpose-built facility ensuring sustainability for the local community.

“We are currently planning with our governors our route forward over the next few months and beyond.”

Withernsea High School head Richard Williman said: “This investment will enable us to further develop outstanding provision and ensure that future generations of Withernsea young people experience state-ofthe-art learning facilities.” The East Riding missed out on the Building Schools for the Future programme, which saw £400m invested in new schools in Hull.

The three schools received letters this week confirming capital was being made available to accelerate the delivery of the Government’s priority school building programme.

It followed the Government’s spending review last week.

‘I’m glad the message is getting through’ Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart, chairman of the Government’s education select committee “We see in Hull these phenomenally over-expensive new school buildings, which, sadly, to an extent were vanity projects, while we have vast numbers of dilapidated old ones.

“A more sensible use of money is to provide adequate funding everywhere rather than a few icons.”

The Tory MP took Schools Minister Nick Gibbs on a tour of Withernsea’s ageing school buildings in 2010.

Mr Stuart said: “Major work is required and I’m glad the message is getting through.””