Josh MacAlister

I would be very happy to exchange letters or discussions with my hon. Friend to help to resolve any issues. We have a specific route for funding very small multi-academy or single-academy trust schools through the funding formula, where they are not in larger responsible body groups. That is why some schools get funding through the condition improvement fund and others get it through the wider allocation process. In addition to maintenance funding and the school rebuilding programme, my hon. Friend the Member for Rushcliffe mentioned that we have launched the renewal and retrofit programme. The programme is backed by more than £700 million to improve the condition of schools and colleges and increase their resilience to, among other things, the changing climate. It started this year in three regions: Yorkshire and the Humber, the east midlands and the south-east. The current phase is targeting the worst 50 schools—in the sense that their condition is the worst, not their performance; many of them are fantastic schools—with potential projects identified for 2026-27 based on the condition of individual temporary buildings. The temporary buildings at Edwalton primary school have not been shortlisted for phase 1 based on the available condition data, but following my hon. Friend’s representations I have asked my officials to visit the school and see the building at first hand. From next year, the renewal and retrofit programme is being expanded to all regions in England. Detailed delivery plans, including how schools and colleges will be selected, will be confirmed in due course. I will be happy to keep my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme (Lee Pitcher) updated on that expansion. High-quality school and college buildings are essential to delivering-world class education and creating the conditions for all children and young people to achieve and thrive. Children, families and communities are at the heart of the 10-year plan for a decade of renewal in our school and college buildings. This is about more than just buildings. It is about showing children that their education matters, that their futures matter and that the Government are determined to give them the best possible start in life. Question put and agreed to.