Children Benefit from Additional £5 million in Schools (Islington Liberal Democrats)

Islington Liberal Democrats <Islington_ld@cix.co.uk>

Children Benefit from Additional £5 million in Schools

February 10, 2004 12:00 AM

Pupils in Islington's 62 schools will benefit from an additional £5.7m funding for schools in 2004-5, if proposals from Islington's Lib Dem Councillors are passed. The money will help: fund new teaching assistants in schools help retain teachers tackle in Islington the funding problems which many schools around the country experienced last year provide other resources for schools The government's own funding formula said that they should give an additional £463,000 to Islington schools, but then gave it to other Councils. Islington Council will now be contributing this sum from its own resources. In addition to this ongoing annual 'revenue' expenditure, the Council will also be investing an extra £2.7 million from its own resources into capital investment in school buildings. The Council is involved in three major projects to enhance to provide twenty-first century facilities for children in the borough, at New North school, the Bridge School, and redevelopment of Prior Weston school (and Fortune Park early years centre) Councillor James Kempton, Islington's Liberal Democrat Executive Member for Regeneration & Education, said "Islington secondary schools are now oversubscribed, and last year we had our best ever GCSE results: half as many pupils again are now getting 5 A*-C grades at GCSE as did just four years ago. "The Government has just given approval for a brand new secondary academy in the borough - it is clear that education in Islington is improving fast. "These additional resources will help ensure that progress continues." Capital investment projects include: £50,000 to improve Kate Greenaway School £100,000 to improve boilers in Archway Early Years Centre £63,000 Curriculum development at Mount Carmel school £200,000 on Tufnell Park nursery £139,000 on the sports hall at Winton School £38,000 on the sports hall at Grafton School