Nuneaton MP Marcus Jones today stressed that the local community must get behind the Nuneaton Academy, which is opening in September. Marcus has held lengthy talks with Lord Hill, the Government Minister responsible, and remains cautiously hopeful that the funding for the new buildings may be forthcoming in the future.

The recently elected MP, anxious to see better educational opportunities for Nuneaton’s children and keen to raise the profile of Nuneaton’s schools, sees the Academy as an important part of the future improvement of education in the town.

Commenting on the latest news, he said: “I am disappointed that we will not get the funding at this time to re-build the Radnor Drive site but this decision is not isolated to Nuneaton. I can understand why this decision has been made with the public finances in such a perilous state after 13 years of the previous Government; with £1 in every £4 Government spends being borrowed and our debt increasing by £3bn every week.

“That said I have spoken at length to Lord Hill who has stressed that the Government are fully supportive of the Nuneaton Academy and that they will continue dialogue with the Academy’s sponsors and discuss ways in which a building project may be achieved in the future after the Comprehensive Spending Review, due in the Autumn.

“I will be maintaining dialogue with Lord Hill to see what can be brought forward in the future. In the meantime we must not forget that the Academy is replacing two schools which have traditionally been failing and we must get behind the Academy. With its new direction and leadership from the sponsors, they are already making a very positive difference in Nuneaton through their partnership with the George Eliot School.”