Filton and Bradley Stoke MP Jack Lopresti is today celebrating the news that Patchway Community School has been included in the second round of the School Rebuilding Programme.
Students in Patchway and the surrounding area are set to benefit from new, modern, energy-efficient school buildings, bringing real progress in the campaign for new facilities that Jack has been supporting for many years. The final amount of funding that will be made available is still to be confirmed.
The award of funding is recognition of the work done by the School and Trust to push for improvements. The School’s facilities are currently very run-down, which presents a real challenge for the school team. The new building will be vital to bringing Patchway in line with Olympus’s other sites in South Gloucestershire and will deliver real benefits to the local community.
Jack, who’s own children went to the School, has been campaigning in Parliament and with Ministers for the improvements, and discussed the School with Education Secretary Gavin Williamson earlier this year.
Jack Lopresti MP said:
I am thrilled that, after years of campaigning, we have secured funding for a rebuild of Patchway Community School.
Three of my children went there and it’s a fantastic school. However, it has been held back by the poor quality of the buildings, which are no longer fit for purpose. The team at Olympus and in the School have done a great job keeping them running, but finally we can see a new building on the horizon.
It’s great that Patchway will be brought up to the same standard of building as local schools and I can’t wait to see it take shape.
Dave Baker, Chief Executive of the Olympus Academy Trust, said:
The Olympus Academy Trust is absolutely delighted that a much needed and long overdue rebuild will now take place to give the Patchway community the kind of facilities that they need and deserve.
We are grateful to all who have supported us in making representations and for helping others to see Patchway Community School’s need.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said:
The environment children are taught in makes such an enormous difference to their education.
This programme will give thousands more young people the chance to learn in world class school facilities, levelling up opportunity and making sure every young person has the chance to succeed, progress and fulfil their potential.
As we build back better after the pandemic, with buildings that are net-zero in operation, this major ten-year rebuilding programme will help to shape the education of not only children now, but for years to come.
