Rishi Sunak MP has welcomed a £8.7m investment in secondary education in Northallerton.
The Richmond (Yorks) MP said the grant he helped secure from the Department of Education was a tremendous opportunity for Northallerton School and Sixth Form College after a period of difficulty for the county town’s secondary school.
He said the confirmation of the school’s transition to academy status under the umbrella of the Arete Learning Trust – which runs the very successful Richmond and Stokesley Schools – was also very good news.
A new school will be built on the east and west sites of the former Allertonshire School either side of the town's Brompton Road.
Mr Sunak said he pressed the school’s case for investment after a visit to the school’s Grammar School site earlier this year when he saw the poor state of many of the school’s buildings.
He said: “It was clear to me the school’s need for investment was essential to help the school continue its recent good progress under the guidance of interim Head Vicki Rahn, her senior team, and the influence of the Arete Learning Trust.”
The Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, who approved the grant, said he had been very impressed with the quality of Arete’s application for funding.
He added: “Rishi was instrumental in highlighting Northallerton School’s special circumstances and he made a strong case for funding based on his clear understanding of the challenges the school has faced and why this investment is so important for the wider community.”
