Six Rutland and Melton schools are to benefit from funding to improve facilities.

The schools benefitting locally are: St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Brownlow Primary School, Houghton-on-the-Hill Church of England Primary School, Uppingham Community College and St Nicholas Church of England Primary School.

Rutland and Melton has been allocated its share of the £434 million national investment by the Government to expand classrooms, upgrade facilities and support improving the education of children across the country.

This funding will ensure schools have well-maintained facilities to provide students with safe environments that support a high-quality education.

It is part of the £1.4 billion of capital funding for 2020-21 announced in April and is provided through the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF).

Locally the schools will improve their buildings, such as a new roof for St Nicholas Church of England Primary School and a new classrooms for Brownlow Primary School.

On top of this, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also announced a new transformative 10-year school rebuilding programme.

This will be kick-started with over £1 billion for the first 50 projects in 2020-21.

The government says as we bounce back from the pandemic, it's important to lay the foundations for a country where everyone has the opportunity to succeed, with our younger generations front and centre of this mission.

This major new investment will ensure our schools and colleges can focus on teaching, with brand new buildings and better facilities so that every child gets the world-class education all our children deserve.

Welcoming the funding, Rutland and Melton MP, Alicia Kearns, said:"The pandemic has taken a huge toll on us all, not least our children who have been kept from their friends, teachers and beloved schools.

"As we recover from COVID-19, it is right that we focus on getting children back to school and ensure they have the facilities and classrooms they need to support the high-quality education our children and teachers deserve. I would like to thank all those teachers who have worked so hard throughout the pandemic to teach our children.

"I welcome this funding which will bolster our children's ability to gain all the knowledge and skills they need for success and ensure our education system will drive opportunity and prosperity for everyone for years to come."