MORE than half a million pounds has been awarded to an academy in Bicester which will go towards vital improvements for two schools.

Both the Cooper School and Glory Farm Primary School will get a summer makeover thanks to a successful bid for roof and heating improvements.

The two schools are part of the Bicester Learning Academy and are celebrating their first successful government funding bid since starting in July 2014.

Executive headteacher Ben Baxter said: "As an academy, to get this funding is fantastic.

"In this day and age no schools could afford half a million pounds for renovations but thanks to this funding for the first time we can now plan for the future."

The £546,741,00 government condition improvement funding (CIF) will pay for a new roof over the Cooper School sports hall and its technology department as well as boiler replacement and flat roof replacement at Glory Farm Primary.

Roof replacements were vital in the academy's plans for improvement as particularly at the secondary school the sports hall was beginning to leak and cause disruption to sports schedules.

Mr Baxter said: "The area is used for exams, parents evenings, options evenings and sports but it was beginning to leak.

"There have been times where sports events or groups have been unable to go in there because of the potential health and safety risks therefore it just disrupts learning."

Scaffolding has gone up over the last week of term for students at The Cooper School and workers are ploughing away on the sports hall.

They will then move over to the technology block from Thursday and is scheduled to be complete in time for the return of students in September.

Across the way at Glory Farm Primary School the contractors SKylar Contracting will move over from working at the secondary school site around July 25 and scaffolding will go up around the school ahead of their new term.

Operations director Richard Dodsworth said: "It is an important priority for the school to have good quality facilities to match the demand in the 21st century.

"From Glory Farm point of view the school is 30 years old and still with the existing roof.

"For them they will have a new boiler system, by Envirotech, to be more cost effective and hopefully a warmer school and with the flat roofs water was just stuck up there which just presents a danger when water is collecting."

The renovations also include funding from Cherwell District Council who stumped up £86,125 and £46,900 from the Bicester Learning Academy itself.