Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will consider the potential merits of providing part-funding to Northumberland County Council for the rebuilding of Berwick Academy, following the Council's commitment of £37 million of local funding to deliver the project.

The School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) carries out major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at schools and sixth form college buildings across England. Schools and sixth-form colleges in the worst condition are prioritised in areas where places are needed now and in the future.

The department may include cases where severe and urgent need for rebuilding is identified outside the main prioritisation rounds. This was the case for Churchill Community College. Decisions on individual schools are taken on their own merits and do not determine the outcome for other schools.

Berwick Academy has been nominated for the current round of the SRP and will be considered alongside other eligible schools as part of the national prioritisation process. The department has been clear that that the route for funding investment in rebuilding is through the SRP and the school will need to be assessed through that process. We have no plans to provide separate rebuilding funding outside of that process. Decisions on the additional 250 schools due to join the SRP are expected by early 2027.

The department is aware of concerns regarding the condition of Berwick Academy's buildings. While the department does not hold a recent assessment of the full cost of addressing all condition issues at the school, information provided locally has informed discussions regarding its future capital needs and its nomination to the SRP.