£8 million to be invested in school buildings in Staffordshire to make them 'fit for the future'

The measures, which will be discussed at the county council’s cabinet meeting on March 16, include refurbishing playgrounds, repairing roofs, and replacing old boilers and pipework.

The money will also be used to continue the county council’s school decarbonisation programme, replacing inefficient heating systems with more environmentally friendly options, installing new energy controls that monitor usage, and improving insulation.

A total of 46 schools across the county will benefit from this latest program to reduce their carbon emissions, directly contributing to the county council’s goal of reaching carbon net zero in 2050.

Added to this, two brand new schools are scheduled to be built in Tamworth to cope with the increasing demand for school places.

If approved, these schools could open in 2024, and will add to current school developments in Lichfield (Deanslade) and the relocation of St Leonard’s in Stafford to the Kingston Centre, both of which will open in September 2023.

Jonathan Price, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for education said: “This year’s investment in schools shows our commitment to ensuring the county’s children are able to learn in an environment that benefits and aids their education. The investment will see upgraded facilities for many schools across the county.

“The decarbonisation programme in schools has been a particular success, with 51 schools already benefitting from a similar scheme last year.

"This year’s plan to reduce the carbon emissions of 46 schools by replacing inefficient systems, improving insulation and making it easier to monitor energy usage, will directly contribute to our net zero carbon goal.

“Climate change affects all of us, so by using this money to do as much as we can to reduce our impact on the climate means we can secure a brighter future for the county’s children.”