£2.4m spend for church schools across area

North Yorkshire Executive Member for Schools County Coun Jim Clark said: "We work very closely with the dioceses to coordinate this voluntary-aided schools capital programme so that our schools get maximum benefit from the grants available.

"We help to make sure that the funding is allocated according to the diocesan priorities and that the money is spent to the greatest benefit of the schools.

"We seek to ensure that all our schools are safe and well appointed."

The sum includes: 375,375 to St Wilfrid's Primary, Ripon, for a nursery; 273,000 to St Aidan High School's sixth form block; and 156,975 for the playground at Richard Taylor Primary.

For kitchen and other primary school site improvements - 58,500 to All Saints', Kirkby Overblow, 48,000 to St Robert's, Harrogate, 43,000 to St Wilfrid's, Ripon, 41,000 to St Mary's, Knaresborough, and 39,000 to St Joseph's, Harrogate.

Some 190,800 goes to Sacred Heart Primary, Northallerton, for offices, drains, and fences, while 48,750 to Swainby & Potto Primary for a new boiler and toilets.

Elsewhere, 29,250 goes to St Peter's Primary, Brafferton, for a heating upgrade, and 3,000 to Kirkby and Great Broughton Primary for office improvements.

In Scarborough, 220,000 goes to St George's Primary for a new classroom and 107,250 to St Martin's Primary for toilets and fences. Plus: 64,000 for the playground of St Mary's Primary, Malton; 29,250 for toilets at Terrington Primary; 168,000 to St Mary's Primary Richmond for reroofing and fencing; and 87,750 to Ermysted's Grammar, Skipton, for lab refurbishment.