THE executive principal of the Priory Learning Trust has revealed plans to bid for £1.5million of funding to repair roofs at a Highbridge school.

Neville Coles, executive principal of the Priory Learning Trust, said it will be putting in a bid for Capital Improvement Funding next year to repair the roofs at The King Alfred School if it formally becomes part of the trust in 2018.

Denise Hurr, headteacher of The King Alfred School, said the roofs are in a state of disrepair and “considerable investment” is needed to make them weather proof.

“We are very pleased the Priory Learning Trust intends to submit a capital improvement bid on our behalf to bring about much needed basic improvements to our school,”

the headteacher said.

“This is additional funding which we have been unable to access whilst we have been a local authority school.”

The trust has been working with the school since September after they were selected by The South West Headteacher Board as the school’s new sponsor at a meeting in August.

The multi-academy trust has engaged in a “due diligence process” with the school since the meeting to explore the financial and legal aspects of the partnership ahead of the school formally becoming part of the trust in 2018.

Mr Coles said: “The roofs are beginning to need replacing at The King Alfred School and we will be asking for money to re-roof the school which will cost about £1.5 million.

“Each year all academies can bid for Capital Improvement Funding.

“We have been been very successful in the past with capital bids and we hope the same will happen with any bids we put in for the King Alfred School in the future.”