Government makes billion pound investment into school and hospital buildings - what will it mean for pupils?

• Some £1.2 billion in Government funding to repair school and hospital buildings has been announced
• A large chunk of it will go towards removing asbestos and fixing school roofs
• Hundreds of schools across the country will benefit
• Ministers say the investment will show children that their education and futures matter

England’s ‘crumbling’ classrooms have received a major cash injection - in a bid to make sure pupils at hundreds of schools are safe and warm.

On Friday (May 30), the Government laid out how £1.2 billion of funding, initially confirmed in last year’s Autumn Budget, would go to fix leaky pipes, poor ventilation, electrical issues, and unsafe roofs across hundreds of public service buildings. These include hospitals, mental health units and ambulance sites - in what it hopes will prevent thousands of cancelled operations and appointments - as well as hundreds of state-funded schools and sixth form colleges.

The deteriorating school estate and the disruption it causes to young people and their education has been a matter of concern for quite some time. But which issues exactly will the extra funding go towards fixing, and what will it actually mean for children in the classroom?

Here’s what you need to know:

What’s been announced for schools?

Of the funding, £470 million has been set aside for schools. It will go towards projects like fixing crumbling roofs and removing hazardous asbestos - which the Department for Education (DfE) says will help with “restoring pride in our classrooms and undoing years of dangerous neglect”.

Currently, 656 schools and sixth forms across the country are set to benefit, especially those in urgent need of repairs.

Other work being prioritised will include making classrooms warmer and more energy efficient, as well as creating safe outdoor spaces for lessons. The DfE says this targeted work will create “a welcoming and supportive school environment for generations of children, so they can achieve and thrive as they progress through their education”.

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Why is it needed?

An investigation by The Guardian last year found that some 1.5 million children across England were studying in unfit school buildings, in need of some kind of repair work. In some instances, schools had even had to close due to issues like floors at risk of collapse.

More than a hundred schools also had to close off buildings in the last year due to the RAAC crisis. This lightweight concrete, used in many public buildings during the 1950s and 60s, later proved prone to sudden collapse.

In December, it was revealed that the Government planned to hire contractors to inspect the safety of thousands of school buildings constructed after World War II. Experts said that it was almost inevitable that some schools would be deemed unsafe - and may need to shut down altogether.

Besides the safety risk to children that deteriorating buildings may pose, closing them down can also be very disruptive to school operations, and pupils’ educations.

What will it mean for pupils and their families?

The Government says that this latest cash injection is just one part of a wider £2.1 billion investment into the school estate this year. The funding will support schools and sixth form colleges that urgently need repairs - minimising disruptions to pupil’s learning, and giving parents confidence “that their children are learning in safety and comfort”, the DfE says.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said that the defining image of the school estate in recent years had been “children sitting under steel props to stop crumbling concrete falling on their heads”.

“It simply isn’t good enough,” she continued. “Parents expect their children to learn in a safe, warm environment. It’s what children deserve, and it is what we are delivering.”

However, this investment was about more than just making sure school buildings were safe and up to scratch, Phillipson added. “It’s about showing children that their education matters, their futures matter, and this government is determined to give them the best possible start in life.

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