£46m investment announced for community schemes and inequality tackling in Welsh Schools

Education and Welsh Language Minister Jeremy Miles has announced a £46m investment to support community schemes and address inequality in Welsh schools.

The funding includes £40m in new capital funding for Community Focused Schools, aimed at fostering strong partnerships with families, addressing community needs, and facilitating effective collaboration with other services to help children thrive.

The £40m will be allocated to schools in all local authorities in Wales, supporting community projects such as food and gardening initiatives, shared use of sports facilities, and community hubs and kitchens within school buildings. Additionally, parental and community outreach programmes such as nutrition and skills classes and parent-child reading sessions will be offered.

A further £6.5m will be dedicated to funding more Education Welfare Service and Family Engagement Officers, who work to tackle inequality and address absenteeism, providing support to children and families in need.

The funding was officially launched during Minister Miles’ visit to Cardiff West Community High School.

The school had previously benefited from a £37m investment for a new state-of-the-art building, replacing the existing site and offering enhanced facilities for learners and the local community. Local groups, including a Flying Start group and numerous sports teams, now have access to the school’s playing fields.

Minister Jeremy Miles expressed his admiration for the initiatives led by schools nationwide, stating, “This investment will enable schools to use their facilities and resources to benefit the communities they serve, improve the lives of children, families and build stronger communities.”

Local Authorities throughout Wales have submitted expressions of interest in the funding, identifying 100 priority projects with investments planned for at least 150 schools. Local Authorities are collaborating with schools to develop key projects.