Schools compete for rebuild cash (From Wiltshire Times)

Schools compete for rebuild cash

10:27am Monday 12th December 2005 in Melksham

TWO west Wiltshire schools face an anxious wait to see if one of them will have the chance to be rebuilt in a £20m refit.

The John of Gaunt School, Trowbridge and The George Ward School, Melksham, along with St Edmund's in Salisbury, have been shortlisted to receive the money, offered through a Government grant.

Andy Packer, headteacher at John of Gaunt, said much of the school is housed in Victorian buildings and money that could be spent on better equipment for the children is instead being used for essential building repairs.

He said: "The pot of money that we get from the budget for building works can also be spent on computers so every time we have to repair a faulty drain we are spending thousands we could have spent on computers, which is very frustrating."

If the money did go to John of Gaunt it could also solve a longstanding issue in Trowbridge the lack of a school on the east side of the town. All three secondary schools in the county town are close together and there have been calls for either a fourth school on the other side of the town or for one of the existing three to be moved.

Mr Packer said: "If we were to move to the east side of Trowbridge it would be an opportunity to create a school for the 21st century.

"I truly believe Trowbridge deserves a new school. What we have here is a colossal capacity for improvement."

Spending the money in Trowbridge could also be a chance to provide a new home for the Wiltshire Rural Music School.

The school already has strong links with John of Gaunt, with plans to move from its Gloucester Road base on to the school grounds in the pipeline.

The George Ward School, in Melksham, was built in the 1950s and governors believe it is in such a state of disrepair it would be better to knock it down and start again.

Christine Deadman, vice chairman of the governors, said: "We are absolutely thrilled to be on the shortlist. This would benefit every child in Melksham and we think they deserve that.

"Melksham is expanding and trying to improve and this would be a boost for the whole town."

Wiltshire County Council's children, education and libraries panel is due to meet today to decide whether to go ahead with feasibility studies at the three schools.

Another option being considered instead is to use part of the money to boost funds at a school already planning major works, such as St John's School, Marlborough, and the rest to benefit other schools.

If the council decides to take that option there would not be enough money left to rebuild either George Ward or John of Gaunt.