Disappointment for schools

THE two schools in Dover to opt out of local authority control and go grant-maintained are to receive precious little of the money they asked for from the Government this year.

St. Edmunds Roman Catholic Comprehensive, which asked the Government's Funding Agency for Schools for £850,000 to set up more science facilities, is getting nothing in the next financial year.

And Dover Grammar School for Boys is getting only £70,000 of the £300,000 it asked for to repair school roofs.

St Edmunds, which has 710 pupils, went grant-maintained in September 1993 and last year received £700,000 to set up a new technology block which is due to open this summer. The school wants the new science facilities to complement this block.

"It is disappointing to be turned down." said headteacher Tom Connolly, "but we certainly don't regret going grant-maintained.

"We've waited 20 years for the technology block. We will re-submit our application in September and hope it is approved."

The £30,000 for Dover Grammar School for Boys must be spent before the end of March.

"Yes, we are disappointed we are not getting all we asked for but we always wanted to get a steady flow of money from the agency and we remain hopeful that this will still happen," said headteacher Neil Slater.

He stressed the main building was structurally sound and said the cash was needed to improve parts of the school which were 'a bit tatty.' The school went grant-maintained last year.

An FAS spokesman said the agency's policy was not to comment on grants to individual schools.