Several Northamptonshire schools to share £1 million education improvement fund

Lings Primary School in Northampton is one of a number of schools acros the county to receive a share of the £1 million county council fund.

The cash has been made available as part of the county council’s Race To The Top strategy, which is bidding to make Northamptonshire ‘one of the highest performing’ counties for education by 2020.

A total of 22 bids for a slice of the £1 million fund have been successful and these schools will now work with the University of Northampton, businesses and voluntary organisations in a variety of projects.

Council leader Jim Harker said: “Nothing like this has been tried in the UK before and this is a pioneering initiative which encourages innovation and partnership with business.

“In 2015 it is no longer acceptable that any school is failing our pupils and that is why we, as the county council, have taken decisive action to tackle this.

“By 2020, we will aim to be amongst the best performing counties in the country for education.”

Race To The Top was unveiled by the county council in February this year and was prepared with collaboration with the Department for Education.

The strategy aims to intervene in schools across the county which are judged to be failing or in need of improvement.

It will also see the council seek sponsors for 16 new schools, which will ned to be built to cope with growing population demand over the next 12 years.

Top-performing schools will also be asked to share ‘good practice’, grants and bursaries will be offered to schools seeking to improve, and schools will work with businesses to provide mentoring and work placement opportunities.

Councillor Matt Golby, cabinet member for learning, skills & education, said: “This is just the start of a long journey of improvement but I am confident that by all the partners involved working together we will be able to achieve results.”

The list of successful bids are:

• Lings Primary School

• Weston Favell CE Primary School

• Wren Spinney Community Special School

• Hospital and Outreach Education (Pupil Referral Unit)

• Sponne School –

• Huxlow Science College

• Geddington School

• Upton Meadows Primary School

• Campion School & Language College

• Lodge Park Academy

• Corby Business Academy & Kettering Science Academy

• Kings Heath Academy

• Parklands Primary School

• Grange School, Daventry

• Northgate School Arts College & The Bee Hive

• Clipston Endowed VC Primary School

• The Ferrers School

• Northampton School for Boys

• Pen Green Nursery School and Integrated Centre for Children and Families

• Duston Eldean Primary School

• The Education Fellowship Multi-Academy Trust - Warwick Primary School, Wellingborough

• Northampton Academy