Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

A welcome addition to the school improvement programme.

Wiltshire Council will spend £23 million on refurbishing and replacing school buildings this year providing a positive learning environment for thousands of school children.

The money, which has come from government grants, land sales and obligatory contributions paid by developers of housing projects in Wiltshire, has been allocated to improve and in some cases replace school buildings across the county.

Head of school buildings and places, Nigel Hunt, said: "We are also spending £2.5 million this year on major maintenance projects at schools. This includes replacing roofing, boiler replacements and rewiring of schools. This goes to show the commitment we have to improving school buildings so children and young people have a suitable and safe place to learn and develop."