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Background to the Primary Capital Programme

The Primary Capital Programme (PCP), in partnership with local authorities (LAs), aims to develop and implement a strategic and transformational programme to deliver 21st century schools at the heart of their communities by rebuilding or improving at least half of all primary schools over 15 years.

"We want our services to be the best in the world and to keep pace with the phenomenal rate of change in technology, the economy, environment and society. That is why we have increased capital investment to unprecedented levels and are now looking to transform the environments in which our children and workforce spend so much of their lives and to open up these facilities to the community.
"£150 million in 2008-09 and £500 million in 2009-10. By adding this extra funding to existing capital investment, by planning strategically over the long-term and by procuring efficiently and making the taxpayers' investment really count, local authorities and local people will be able to create the schools that they need for the future - at the heart of their communities."

Every child matters: Primary Capital Programme
Building primary schools at the heart of the community
Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF)

PCP aims to deliver:

A 15-year capital investment programme to enable over half of all primary schools to achieve significant physical transformation involving modernisation, rebuilding, refurbishing or upgrading.
Primary schools offering excellent 21st century learning facilities, appropriate for delivering both personalised learning, and a wider range of services to their pupils, parents and the wider community.
Every child and family will have access to a primary school in their locality which is a focus for joined-up local services.
Every school will provide first-class ICT facilities so pupils can study in a way that suits them.
Improved facilities for extended school services and childcare with primary schools playing a lead role in achieving our ambitions for every child, the Every Child Matters outcomes and our ambition that schools should be central in community life.
Radical restructuring of the primary stock to deal with demographic pressures, changing parental demand (expanding popular schools) and falling rolls.
A comprehensive and joined-up capital programme will support the achievement of other important policy objectives, including raising standards, Every Child Matters, inclusion, diversity and responsiveness, extended services, personalisation, and expanding popular schools.

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Background to the Primary Capital Programme