Ministers approve Sir James Dyson’s £6m donation to state primary school

Sign up for the View from Westminster e mail for skilled evaluation straight to your inbox

Get our free View from Westminster e mail

A £6 million donation from Sir James Dyson to his native state primary school has been given the inexperienced gentle by the Government.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has authorised the donation from the billionaire inventor to construct a centre for science, expertise, engineering, arithmetic (Stem) and humanities at Malmesbury Church of England primary school in Wiltshire.

The growth on the school would see purpose-built rooms geared up for design, expertise, artwork, science and mathematics-based actions, in addition to extra lecture rooms.

If planning permission is authorised by Wiltshire Council, it’s anticipated to be open from September 2027, the Department for Education (DfE) mentioned.

In November, Sir James introduced a £35 million donation to his former fee-paying school – Gresham’s School in Holt, Norfolk – which allowed him to proceed his research there free of charge after the loss of life of his father.

In a letter to The Times final yr, Sir James mentioned his donation to Malmesbury Church of England primary school had been blocked by officers – a declare denied by Downing Street.

The billionaire businessman mentioned he had been making an attempt to give a grant to the state school via his charitable basis to assist with the constructing of its new science and expertise centre and growth by 210 locations.

“But the local authority and Department for Education say no, citing the risk of other schools having insufficient numbers,” Sir James wrote within the letter to The Times in October.

Announcing the approval of the donation on Monday, Ms Keegan mentioned: “I welcome this generous donation from the Dyson Foundation which will support cutting edge education for local pupils, helping to develop the scientists and engineers of the future.

“This new centre will provide world-class facilities for pupils in Malmesbury and the surrounding areas to inspire them and develop the skills we need to compete on the world stage.

“The £6 million donation builds on the work we have been doing to boost the uptake of Stem subjects in schools and through apprenticeships and further education, boosting growth and opportunity in these vital sectors.”

A James Dyson Foundation spokesman mentioned: “The Secretary of State’s approval is conditional on the local authority approving the school’s expansion before any building work can commence, which takes us back to square one.”

Wiltshire Council has raised issues round having all of the funding in a single location, and the influence that the growth of pupil numbers at Malmesbury Primary School may have on neighbouring faculties.

Laura Mayes, cupboard member for kids’s companies, mentioned: “We have an important responsibility to ensure all our school pupils can access opportunities that inspire them and help them achieve their potential.

“Our school places strategy is our long-term plan, based on clear evidence, which maps out how we will secure sufficient school places for the future.

“Our strategy shows we have sufficient places in the three local schools to cater for expected demand and we have expressed concern about the impact that adding 210 additional places at Malmesbury Primary School could have on neighbouring schools.

“However we now have the Government’s final decision and we will work with everyone involved to ensure we achieve the best outcomes for all our pupils.”