£8m windfall will improve learning

Sep 11 2007 By Emma Cullwick, Birmingham Mail

A SCHOOL in east Birmingham is celebrating after clinching an £8 million windfall in a bid to boost the education of its pupils.

Washwood Heath Technology College in Burney Lane, Stech-ford, has been handed the funding by the Government after once again securing specialist status.

The money will be splashed out over the next three years and comes after the school was recently praised by Ofsted inspectors.

Assistant head teacher Simon Mallett said: "The renewed specialist status confirms that the school provides its students with a standard of education that allows them to achieve success.

"This substantial additional funding will be effectively deployed to improve learning outcomes for local students and the community."

Students returned to the school last week to find it had under-gone a facelift during the summer holidays.

Constructors began work on a new £350,000 building, due to be completed by November, which will be used to teach students who want to pursue careers in the construction industry.

Eventually the school, which has more than 1,500 students aged 11 to 18, hopes to open up for use by the wider community.

Other improvements carried out over the summer included a boost to sports facilities, new computer suites, a languages lab and improvements to the students' entrance.

It comes after the school, which

this year celebrates its 40th birthday, already opened a new music and art suite.

"With the creation of the new building to the installation of a new phone system, it is a time of great change at the school," said head teacher Bev Mabey.

"It is designed to make the school a better environment for teaching and learning so that the students are given the best possible chance to succeed."