Crumbling Walsall school in fresh funding appeal

The move follows a meeting between the principal of Joseph Leckie Academy, Keith Whittlestone, and Schools Minister David Laws.

Also attending were Walsall South MP Valerie Vaz and Palfrey Councillor Allah Ditta as part of an attempt to get Government funding to carry out vital repairs, which are expected to cost £13 million.

The Walstead Road West school in Delves has repeatedly been left disappointed in bids to get much-needed funding for repairs.

Mr Whittlestone said although no promise of funding had yet been made, a representative from the Education Funding Agency is now due to visit the school in the upcoming months and report back to the Government.

"We came to persuade the minister to find funding for a replacement building," he said. "It's a 74-year-old building. The masonry is crumbling. There are areas of the school which leak during heavy downpours. We have problems with rotting windows and door frames.

"It needs a significant amount of money to put it right. The main teaching block needs to be knocked down and rebuilt."

He said he was told that schools across the country were being assessed and no funding for the academy could yet be ag-reed. Mr Whittlestone added: "It was still a positive meeting overall. There will be someone from the Education Funding Ag-ency coming to the school."

A campaign to improve the school buildings started as far back as 2005 when pupils sent a DVD to ministers to show them the extent of the repair work needed.

Most recently, the school was one of four in the borough to miss out on a slice of a £1.1 billion cash pot to repair crumbling buildings. Mrs Vaz said it was important that the schools minister was able to hear first-hand about disruption caused to education by the dilapidated buildings.

She added: "The main building at Joseph Leckie Academy is nearly 75 years old. It is now in a severe state of disrepair."