Nine schools in East Lancashire and nine across the rest of the county are set to benefit from a funding boost.

An announcement made by the Department of Education on Monday (May 22) will see £58.5 million worth of funding in the North West, with 18 schools in Lancashire benefitting from 20 projects, with two schools being granted two funding pots.

In Blackburn with Darwen, St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy will benefit from safeguarding fencing and Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School will benefit from electrical rewiring of the Holden Hartley Building.

In Pendle, at Colne Primet Academy there will be electrical rewiring works to the main teaching block, at Colne Lord Street School the fire alarm system will be replaced, and Colne Park High School will have the central heating system replaced and improvement works to the fire safety.

Accrington Huncoat Primary School will have the boiler plant and controls replaced and improvements made to site security and safeguarding.

Oswaldtwistle West End Primary School will renew the flat roof covering and associated works, while Rhyddings in Oswaldtwistle will replace the boiler plant and hot water plant and controls to D block.

Finally, The Hollins will replace the central heating distribution system including a new boiler plant and controls to the main building.

Nationally, more than £450m will be invested in school buildings.

Overall, the government has committed £1.8 billion of capital funding for the financial year 2023-24 to improve the condition of school buildings – including £1.1bn for local authorities, large multi-academy trusts and voluntary aided bodies announced in March.

Minister for the School System, Baroness Diana Barran said: “It’s hugely important that every school has access to high-quality learning facilities.

"These funding allocations will make sure that responsible bodies can start to plan ahead and get projects started to replace roofs, boilers and windows – so pupils and teachers can learn and work in a comfortable space.”