Last week, I stood up in the House of Commons to make the case for Bramhall High School. I am proud that I was able to secure that debate, and I am proud of every word I said in that chamber. But I left Westminster feeling deeply frustrated, because once again, when Bramhall needed this Government to step up, they fell short.
School's Dire Condition
Let me be clear about what Bramhall High School is dealing with. One of its blocks has no running water, no kitchen and no toilet facilities. Pupils have been learning in temporary cabins since November 2023. Parts of the building cannot be used at all because of dangerous RAAC concrete. An expert who has assessed school buildings across the country described it as the least inspiring education building in England. A rebuild is more than 30 years overdue.
Government Refuses Full Rebuild
When the school was invited to join the school rebuilding programme, there was genuine excitement. The headteacher, Mr Williams, and his team threw themselves into the process. The appointed contractor assessed the site, agreed that a full rebuild met the school's brief, and confirmed it came within the allocated budget. Everything pointed in the same direction. The decision seemed obvious. And yet the Government said no to a full rebuild.
Instead, they have pushed through a partial rebuild that leaves one ageing block standing. That block, the one without water or toilets, will remain while a new building goes up next door. Parents will look at those plans and wonder why only half their children's school deserved better. Teachers will walk between a modern new building and a crumbling old one and ask themselves the same question.
£650,000 Funding Shortfall
To make matters worse, the Government will not fund essential equipment for the new block. Bramhall High School is now facing a shortfall of more than £650,000 for desks, chairs and teaching resources. A school with no surplus, operating on the tightest of margins, is being asked to go cap in hand to local businesses and residents so that pupils can have somewhere to sit. That is not good enough.
I put a simple question to the Minister on behalf of the school's headteacher: are you really, truly trying to rebuild our schools? The answer I got was warm words and a defence of process. Bramhall deserves better. I will keep fighting until it gets it.
