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A primary school will benefit from investment of £450,000 — thanks to its links with The University of Nottingham and philanthropist Sir David Samworth.
Less than a year after the Firbeck Academy in Wollaton became part of the Nottingham University Samworth Academy (NUSA) Trust, funding for extensive renovation has been secured from the Education Funding Agency.
The success of that bid means a £450,000 programme of work including new insulated roofs and walls for many of the school buildings — providing warmer classrooms, better ventilation and a better learning environment for Firbeck’s 200 pupils.
Agreement has also been reached to fund repairs to the nursery block roof and new boundary fencing, to allow greater use of the school grounds.
Improvement work is provisionally scheduled to start at the Academy in September this year, for completion by February 2015.
Eudora Christian, Headteacher of Firbeck Academy, said: “This is a fantastic first step in improving the working environment for our pupils and staff — a welcome boost for the school community.”
Professor Alan Ford, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Teaching and Learning at The University of Nottingham, said: “On behalf of the University I’m delighted that funding has been secured for the renovations. We look forward to working with Eudora and all the staff, pupils and parents at Firbeck in this exciting new environment.”
Sir David Samworth, co-sponsor of the NUSA Trust, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity to enhance facilities at the school that will benefit pupils and staff for years to come. It’s a great example of partners working together to make real, tangible improvements to the learning experience of these children.”
Firbeck Primary School, rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted, became an academy in July 2013 when it joined the NUSA Trust which also supports NUSA, a secondary school in Bilborough.
The two schools have a history of working together and are further linked through their provision of specialist support for deaf pupils. Working within the trust enables the academies to share resources and expertise for the benefit of pupils from the age of three to 19.
NUSA was one of the first academies in the UK to have direct sponsorship and academic links with a University and is also backed by businessman and philanthropist Sir David Samworth, who has sponsored two other academies in the East Midlands.
The Education Funding Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Education, managing funding to support all state-provided education
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