Oxfordshire School Building Expansions at Risk after New Funding Cuts

With more than 5000 children already in temporary classrooms in Oxfordshire and an expected shortfall of around 1000 school places in the next two years, a funding gap of beyond £19m will have devastating effects on our children's schooling experience and the state of our schools

We fear existing classrooms will be evermore cramped, increasing clutter, noise and stress levels. Where extensions have become un-fundable temporary classrooms might provide short term relief. But their cost can be up to a third of a new build, with an up to ten times shorter lifespan – not a good investment. And who is picking up the bill for exorbitant heating costs of temporary provisions?

We fear some children will have to travel further where there is no space at their local or preferred school, breaking up friends groups, and generating costs where transport has to be provided, and traffic and pollution where it isn't.

And it's not only classrooms that are affected - what will our expanding schools look like if halls - now deemed non-essential - are turned into classrooms, and new builds and conversions scrapped? School lunches in cramped classrooms, no room for PE in winter, no assemblies, no nativity play, no school community. With former play areas and sport fields sold off to generate funding or blocked by temporary classrooms, where are our future champions coming from, and where do our kids recharge their batteries to excel in their next lesson?

Leaking roofs, crumbling walls and cramped conditions give a strong message to any school community: We don’t care about you.

But as parents and voters we do care, and the state of our schools says a lot about the value we as a society place on our children's education - I would like my children to think that their school, and their learning, matters not only to me, but also to their government.

Please convince us that it does.

Below a list of schools at risk, with expansions scheduled between 20014-18 (source: Oxford Times, 21st of Jan):

Bletchingdon Parochial CofE School
Caldecott Primary School, Abingdon
Charlton Primary School, Wantage
Cutteslowe Primary School, Oxford
Deddington CofE Primary School
Faringdon Infant School and Junior School
Fir Tree Junior School, Wallingford
Frank Wise School, Banbury
Grove CofE Primary School
Hanwell Fields Community School, Banbury
Harriers Banbury Academy
Hill View Primary School, Banbury
Hill View Primary School, Banbury
Hook Norton Primary School
John Hampden Primary School, Thame
John Watson Special School, Wheatley
Larkrise Primary School, Oxford
Longfields Primary School and Nursery, Bicester
Mabel Pritchard Special School, Oxford
Marcham Primary School
Matthew Arnold School, Cumnor Hill
Queensway Primary School, Banbury
St Christopher’s CofE Primary School, Oxford
St Ebbe’s CofE Primary School
St Francis CofE Primary School, Oxford
St Gregory the Great Catholic School, Oxford
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Oxford
St Michael’s CofE Primary School, Steventon
St Swithun’s CofE Primary School, Kennington
Watchfield Primary School
William Fletcher Primary School, Yarnton
Windmill Primary School, Oxford
Wolvercote Primary School, Oxford
Woodstock CofE Primary School