A SECONDARY school in Oxfordshire is one of a handful chosen to receive a share of £1 billion for major refurbishment or rebuilds.

Gosford Hill School in Kidlington has been revealed as one of 61 schools in England that will share the Government funding.

The school is the first in the county to be part of the Department for Education’s School Rebuilding Programme.

The programme will see 500 schools across the country refurbished or rebuilt over the next decade.

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The nature of the work that will take place at Gosford Hill, and the timescale, have yet to be confirmed, however Nigel Sellars, the school’s headteacher, said the school’s inclusion on the scheme is a ‘landmark event in Kidlington’s history’.

He added: “I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that this could be transformative for Kidlington.

“We have plenty of students whose parents and grandparents were also students at Gosford Hill School, so big, positive changes at the school are big, positive changes for our whole community.

“We have so many fantastic students and staff, and it would be wonderful for them to be able to work and study in world-class facilities fit for 21st century learning.

“I am just so excited for them and for everyone in Kidlington.”

thisisoxfordshire: Nigel Sellars, headteacher at Gosford Hill School. Picture: Jon LewisNigel Sellars, headteacher at Gosford Hill School. Picture: Jon Lewis

The School Rebuilding Programme was launched in 2020.

The first 100 projects were announced last year, with the remaining ones set to be unveiled over the next few years.

The 61 latest schools were chosen following applications from local authorities and multi-academy trusts.

In Gosford Hill’s case, the application was made by River Learning Trust, which operates 26 schools in Oxfordshire and two in Swindon.

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Paul James, chief executive of the trust, said: “This is brilliant news for students, staff and the whole Kidlington community.

“The school has made huge strides in the last couple of years, and we are committed to making sure that generations of young people in the area can attend an absolutely exceptional secondary school.

“Being part of the School Rebuilding Programme will support us in doing that.”

thisisoxfordshire: Paul James, chief executive of the River Learning Trust. Picture: Richard CavePaul James, chief executive of the River Learning Trust. Picture: Richard Cave

In April, the school was upgraded to ‘good’ by Ofsted, after previously being ranked ‘requires improvement’ following an inspection in February 2018.

The latest inspection noted ‘leaders have significantly improved the quality of education’.

In May, a former pupil at the school became the first ever comprehensive-educated vice-chancellor at the University of Oxford.

Professor Irene Tracey, who was a pupil at Gosford Hill in the late 1970s and early 1980s, will take up the role of senior officer at the university next year.

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This story was written by Liam Rice, he joined the team in 2019 as a multimedia reporter.

Liam covers politics, travel and transport. He occasionally covers Oxford United.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Liam.rice@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter @OxMailLiamRice