Schools and colleges are set to receive £2.5bn in order to upgrade classrooms and refurbish buildings.
Around £1.8bn of this funding for the 2023-24 financial year will go to improving the condition of the school estate across England, according to the Department for Education.
Nearly £490m of this investment will also be made available to help local authorities provide additional school places needed for September 2026.
One hundred and forty-six colleges will benefit from the final phase of the £1.5bn Further Education Capital Transformation Programme to upgrade buildings and transform campuses.
Minister for skills, apprenticeships and higher education Robert Halfon said: ‘This significant investment will transform school and college buildings across the country so that they are fit for the future and can provide the best education for students, no matter where they live.
‘We want every young person to have access to high-quality facilities and learning environments, to gain the skills they need to climb the ladder of opportunity into further study and work, whilst supporting efforts to grow the economy.’
Commenting on the announcement, Alex Green, project lead for the Let’s Go Zero campaign, said: ‘We welcome any new funding that supports desperately-needed improvements across the school estate but we can’t just be replacing like for like. We need to see robust plans from DfE in regards to future proofing schools and action that will lead all schools to be zero carbon.’
