Debate contribution: Curriculum-led Capital Investment Programme

Debate contribution by Mr Paul Givan on 3 December 2024.

MLA

Mr Paul Givan

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

3 December 2024

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Ministerial Statement

Heading

Curriculum-led Capital Investment Programme

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4690778

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I want to address the Assembly on the important topic of how we can enhance and support the educational experience of our young people through targeted, strategic capital investment in our schools. Investment in the schools estate is not just about how much money we spend but how well we spend it. Today, I am signalling a new approach to investment in our schools. I want to end the game of winners and losers: a situation where, given the limited budget, there are great facilities and opportunities for the few, but the many have to make do and mend. In launching my new curriculum-led capital investment programme to support teaching and learning, I am determined to make sure that every child in every school feels the benefits of capital investment through a range of high-impact, lower-cost projects. The best investment is not necessarily the one with the highest cost; it is the one that has the greatest impact on children’s learning. Every child deserves access to the resources and equipment that will help them discover their full potential. The new curriculum-led capital investment programme will ensure that every pound of funding is used effectively to provide the tools and resources that will lead to the very best outcomes for our children and young people. That means smarter spending, focusing on what really works for pupils. Historically, my Department’s capital programme has focused on new builds and major extension and refurbishment projects. Those large projects are extremely important but, unfortunately, can only be provided to a limited number of schools. Curriculum-related capital investment outside those programmes has, to date, been very limited. In recent years, smaller capital works have been restricted to emergency and statutory schemes to keep schools open and children safe. That is not acceptable. The aim of the new curriculum-led capital investment programme is, therefore, to invest in priority areas across the education system that will directly support, enable and enhance delivery of the curriculum in Northern Ireland. The programme will target for investment areas of learning across the curriculum, including physical education, science and technology and drama. We have very strong evidence that inadequate facilities are having a key impact on the delivery of PE in our schools. It will, therefore, be the initial focus of the first stage of the programme, with a call launched for outdoor covered sports spaces for primary schools and synthetic pitches and sports halls for post-primary schools. The focus on PE will be supplemented by specific annual priorities to refresh resources and equipment more widely. That will allow us to target investment flexibly at key areas of need. High-quality resources support high-quality learning and teaching. Therefore, this year, I will provide £10 million of funding, which will roll out outdoor play equipment for all nursery and primary schools. It will also deliver 15,000 new desktop computers across all post-primary and special schools and, as previously announced, defibrillators to all schools in Northern Ireland. The curriculum-led programme will ensure that every pupil in every school will benefit from capital investment to improve curriculum delivery. To quote Socrates — the Greek philosopher, not the Brazilian footballer that I knew:

"Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel".

With the right resources, we ignite curiosity and a lifelong love of learning. So, why is PE being selected as the initial area of focus within the curriculum? The simple answer is that we know that the effective delivery of PE is often hampered by inadequate facilities. PE should be not only a key element of the curriculum but a central part of children’s overall development. There is growing consensus on the need for PE and sport to be positioned at the core of the curriculum. PE has a wide range of physical and emotional benefits, from developing muscle and bone strength, increasing concentration and improving educational performance and learning to boosting mood and reducing the risk of many lifestyle-related diseases. Developing regular physical activity in childhood is crucial. We know that children who are active are more likely to become active adults and to continue to reap the benefits of an active lifestyle throughout their life. In recent years, a growing evidence base has suggested that physical activity has the potential to support learning more broadly. Research has shown that physical activity can improve short-term memory, reaction time and creativity. It increases attention span, coordination and complex thinking and enhances behaviour and academic achievement. There is also a significant body of evidence that engagement of young people in high-quality PE supports the development of life skills such as leadership, organisation, communication, resilience and problem-solving, yet we know that our schools are frequently held back by having poor facilities. In 2022, the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) thematic evaluation of PE highlighted the inequity in current facilities, with 30% of our schools having inadequate accommodation to plan for and deliver the PE curriculum effectively. Equally, the ETI highlighted the excellent practice that can exist when the right facilities are in place. We know that fewer than a quarter of schools are delivering the recommended two hours a week of PE. That contrasts with England, where the most recent PE subject report published by Ofsted found that most primary schools and about half of secondary schools timetable a minimum of two hours a week of PE. The time has come to address those critical gaps in our school infrastructure. Many smaller primary schools in particular lack reasonably sized hall accommodation that is suitable for PE. Having to utilise available hall space for dining and all other school activities further reduces its availability for PE. Covered outdoor sports spaces can provide a lower-cost and convenient way in which to encourage and support a variety of sports activities. Such spaces have been utilised to good effect in the schools estate in England and Scotland. I am therefore announcing a pilot project to provide outdoor covered sports spaces at 20 primary schools. The application process will require schools to implement a minimum of two hours a week of curricular PE as a condition of funding and to participate in self- and external evaluation of the project. I am pleased that, to inform future investment, the ETI will evaluate the impact of the pilot facilities on the delivery of PE. Similarly, there remain post-primary schools without separate sports halls and on-site access to synthetic sports pitches. That needs to change. Over the coming weeks, my Department will launch the application process for the pilot project. One of the most exciting aspects of the programme is that it will help ensure more equitable access to PE across all schools. Whether you are a pupil in a large urban post-primary school or a small village primary school, the programme will help increase opportunities for high-quality PE. I invite all principals, teachers, parents and pupils to embrace the new programme. It is time for us to recognise the critical role that modern, well-maintained PE facilities play in the success of our pupils. We are giving them the tools that they need to be not only successful students but confident, well-rounded individuals who are ready to take on the challenges of tomorrow. I hope to ensure that high-quality PE is at the heart of every school and that every child can discover the joys and benefits of an active lifestyle. I will turn now to the annual investment streams for equipment and resources. This year, I am investing over £5 million through the programme to provide 15,000 computers to refresh completely the desktop stock at post-primary and special schools. Not all educational technology is equally effective, but, when used appropriately, it can improve education outcomes for all. It is not a substitute for good teachers or good teaching, but, in the hands of great teachers, it can be transformational, yet 42% of principals in Northern Ireland, when responding to the programme for international student assessment (PISA) in 2022 indicated that a lack of digital resources was a key barrier to teaching. For our pupils to stay ahead, we must ensure that our schools are equipped with the best possible digital equipment. In this age of rapid technological advancements, computers have become indispensable in every area of life. From enhancing teaching and learning to facilitating communication, research and creative expression, computers are essential to modern education.

I am conscious that not every student has the same access to technology at home. By providing computers in schools, we level the playing field, ensuring that all students, regardless of their background or socio-economic status, have equal access to digital tools and opportunities. Investing in new computers for schools is not just an investment in technology; it is an investment in our future. It is a promise to our children that we are committed to their education, their growth and their success. The programme will ensure that every child, regardless of where they live, has access to the tools and resources that they need to succeed in the digital age. Alongside the investment in computers for schools, I am delighted to announce a £4 million investment in outdoor play equipment for nursery and primary schools. Funding will be provided directly to schools to buy the equipment that they need most. There is an increasing understanding of the importance and value of outdoor play across all phases in the early years sector to promote the learning, development, resilience, health and sense of well-being of young children. For the vast majority of children, the opportunity to play outside when not in school is in decline. Therefore, outdoor learning needs to be a core component of every child's educational experience. It is an essential tool for fostering physical health, cognitive development, social skills and a connection to the environment. Appropriate equipment is a key element of high-quality outdoor learning. The investment is a clear commitment to enriching the educational experience of our youngest learners and ensuring that they have access to safe, engaging and stimulating environments where they can grow and thrive. From climbing frames and balance beams to interactive play panels and sensory gardens, the resources will offer endless opportunities for children to explore, create and learn in the outdoors. Cost-effective investment will create a dynamic and engaging outdoor learning environment for our children. Today, I have announced the first annual priorities for investment, which have been informed by recent inspection evidence and wider research as well as my extensive engagement with school leaders during the past 10 months. In the coming months, I will work closely with our educators to shape the annual priorities for future years. Early in the new year, my officials will launch a detailed survey for schools that will aim to pinpoint further areas where additional investment in equipment, resources and facilities is particularly needed and will significantly enhance curriculum delivery. The curriculum-led capital investment programme represents a major step forward in our commitment to providing the best possible education for every child. By investing in equipment and facilities that directly support the curriculum, we are ensuring that our education system is aligned with the needs of the modern world. It is an investment not just in buildings and infrastructure but in the future of our education system. It is an investment that ensures that every child has better access to the resources, equipment and opportunities that will unlock their full potential. Let me be clear: I will continue to make the case for much-needed higher levels of capital investment in our schools estate. There has been a legacy of underinvestment. We have to address the ageing schools estate and the requirement for additional specialist places for the rapidly increasing numbers of children with special educational needs, yet I am equally determined to make the most of the capital funding that is available to enhance learning and teaching for all our children. From technology upgrades to sports and play equipment and outdoor learning spaces, high-impact, lower-cost capital projects offer opportunities to enhance the learning environment for pupils across Northern Ireland. By making thoughtful, strategic investments, we can create school environments that are more engaging and supportive of pupils' learning across the curriculum. Effective spending in schools is not just about the quantity of funding but about how well that money is used to empower teachers and inspire pupils. A well-resourced classroom is a powerful engine of possibility. The right tools do not just support learning; they inspire it. Our children need and deserve the investment, so, today I set out my unwavering commitment to providing the best resources possible for our children's physical and academic success. I finish by reminding the Assembly that money spent on our schools is never a cost; it is an investment in the future.

I thank the Member for his warm words in welcoming the announcement today. It is absolutely good news for our children and young people across Northern Ireland. We will take forward the pilot scheme, which I referenced, for the 20 primary schools. We will set out the criteria that we will use to do that as we seek applications. I assure the Member that I will seek to have as wide a geographical spread as I can, but I can provide more details to him on how we will take forward that pilot project in due course.

I thank the Chair of the Committee for welcoming the announcement today. It is good news. I have outlined the £10 million that we are spending now, in this current financial year. It is around £5·4 million for the computer roll-out in our post-primary settings; £4 million for the primary-school funding that will be allocated; and the defibrillators come to around £750,000. That is the spend that we will roll out this year for our curriculum-led capital programme. I have outlined that, early in the new year, we will make that open call to all of the post-primary schools to bring forward their applications for the physical education component of the curriculum-led capital programme that I want to take into the next financial year. That will look primarily at issues around synthetic pitches and sports hall provision. When the call goes out, the applications will come in, and the funding will then be aligned to make sure that we can take forward as many projects as possible for that element of the programme next year.

Absolutely. As regards supporting the Irish-medium sector, I have met the sector. I have been in many of the Irish language-speaking schools. One of the themes coming out of those visits is the ability to have the appropriate resources for those who choose to have their education immersed in the Irish medium, so it is important that that support is being provided and that I continue to engage with the sector to make sure that we can support them as best we can.

I thank the Member for the question. The Chairman of the Committee asked how we would break down the spend this year. Obviously, there is £10 million for outdoor play, desktop computers and defibrillators, which will all be delivered in this current financial year. The £10 million is allocated for those purposes. We have already commenced the process of procuring the appropriate computer equipment. In the next number of weeks, we will provide that funding to schools, which can then procure the outdoor play equipment.

I thank the Member for North Antrim for welcoming this good news story. He rightly outlines the importance of sport being accessible to everybody. I very much want people who have additional needs to be supported by making equipment available and sports halls accessible to all. I have visited schools where those facilities are not accessible to all, and those schools are having to overcome challenges. The initiative presents an opportunity to enhance our infrastructure provision, and disability access is a vital part of taking that forward.

Like the Member, I have played in those covered outdoor sports facilities. A covering makes the facilities accessible all year round and protects people from the weather conditions, which often change in our country. Having those covered outdoor spaces will enhance opportunities for play. That is why we want to take it forward. The Member highlighted another issue, and, while I announced £10 million of funding, Members will always say, "Give us more", and I understand that. I have been engaging with the different sporting bodies on the scheme that he mentioned, which was developed a number of years ago and which was worthwhile and beneficial. I have met the GAA and the IFA, as well as Ulster Rugby and Ulster Hockey, and I am keen for those conversations to continue. I would like that programme to be reinstated but not necessarily in the same format as it was previously — only the IFA and the GAA were involved in it — because other sports could benefit from that programme. The caveat that I always have to mention, unfortunately, is that all that is subject to finance. If we can secure the resources that we need, I would like to develop the scheme again.

I thank the Member for North Belfast, who rightly harasses me to try to get as much funding into his constituency as possible — as do you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker.

As I said, the announcement will make sure that every school, nursery and pre-nursery will benefit. We are moving from major capital investments and school enhancement programmes, which are important, but those are for the few. The many are not getting what they need, so the £4 million that I have announced will be with schools before the end of this calendar year — within the next number of weeks. The funding that will be distributed will depend on the size of the school, but it will range from £2,000 up to £5,000 to every preschool, nursery and primary school across Northern Ireland. That will enable them to spend the funding on equipment that is important for meeting their needs.

We collect information to monitor that, and the ETI carries out inspections in that respect. That informs the decisions that we take. It is also why we are making it a condition on those 20 pilot schools for the outdoor cover that, to secure that funding, they need to guarantee two hours of PE. Recently, I was at Forthill Integrated Primary School, where they have been developing their physical education literacy as part of the curriculum. They showed examples of how they can do that, and the benefits of it are well understood by people who engage in it. This is an important announcement. It is one that will enhance the opportunities for physical education and create that lifelong experience. I loved playing sport when I was younger. I went to school not necessarily for the academic education but because of my love of playing football. Often, on a Tuesday afternoon, it got me out of double award maths classes, and that was the highlight of getting picked for the team when I was at Laurelhill. However, it created a lifelong desire to be engaged in sport from that very young age. Tonight, I will be playing with a group of fellas that I went to school with, and now, in our early 40s, we are still engaged in sport. That is something that we need to cultivate with the younger generation and get them involved for the many different benefits that we can achieve from that.

The Member raises an important point. That is why I want to make sure that we address the inequality of the haves and have-nots in our society. Outside of school, it is a challenge. I have visited, now, upwards of 100 schools. I have been in some facilities where there is state-of-the-art digital technology, and in others where the technology is completely antiquated. Therefore, we need to make sure that there is a levelling right across Northern Ireland so that, at least when you are in school, you get the same opportunities to access the best possible technological equipment. That will help address the various different socio-economic factors that can have an impact on the educational outcomes of our young people.

The Member articulates well the need that exists. I have been at that high school. The Member has had me there, engaged in this area and highlighted that need. As a part of his engagement, we are having a new policy created. He and other MLAs have highlighted the inadequacy that exists, and I have witnessed that when I have been in schools. I was very fortunate. My school had three grass football pitches, a gravel pitch and a sports hall. That was at a secondary school in Lisburn. I have been at schools where they have none of that, or they maybe have one gravel pitch. They often look with envy at other schools that have world-class facilities, and that is something that we need to address. The Member highlighted a school in his constituency. There is now a gateway for that school to make an application and a dedicated curriculum-led capital programme that focuses on the early years of its development on physical education. I cannot guarantee to the Member that a sports hall will be provided for the school that he has highlighted, but I can say to him that there is a way forward that can be advanced by the school in Limavady and other schools across Northern Ireland to meet that need. We can now take that forward to the next stage.

I thank the Member for the question. We carried out a survey in November to help to inform the decisions that have been announced today. We surveyed all 190 post-primary schools, and 125 responded. Of those 125 schools, 31 do not have a sports hall that is separate from their multipurpose hall, 71 do not have a synthetic pitch on their school site and 12 have access only to a shared synthetic pitch. That information from the survey demonstrates the need. I was recently in Newry High School, to which my colleague Diane Forsythe invited me. It has one gravel pitch. There is no synthetic pitch or grass pitch. It was pointed out that all of the neighbouring schools have not just one but two pitches. It is often the case that we see inequality in the school estate. We follow the handbook standard of what needs to be provided in new builds; they will be given an array of sporting facilities. There are also schools that have next to nothing. That is why the curriculum-led capital programme is so vital. It is a new strand of the Department's wider capital approach. We are standing up that new strand and securing funding for it. We are already releasing £10 million for it this year, and we are well on our way to identifying opportunities for it to be recurrent spend of capital investment to benefit schools.

The Member highlights the forest school programme, which is excellent; all schools now want to get accreditation in that. You have your Eco-Schools green flag, and you have your forest school; I want to see whether we can develop a physical literacy type of flag. We love our flags in this country, don't we? Imagine if you were at a school that had a green flag, a forest flag and a PE flag. We need to provide the infrastructure, such as outdoor play equipment, for schools to be able to do that. The programme is all about helping to achieve outdoor learning. There is a huge body of evidence that demonstrates how outdoor learning is beneficial to our children and young people. The programme will, undoubtedly, help schools to enhance their facilities in that regard.

When I have met principals, I have encouraged them to engage in developing opportunities to apply to the fund and make sure that planning permission is not a barrier, which was one of the conversations that Diane and I had in Newry High School. We need to make sure that the planning process is in place when I make the call to schools to apply for funding. When we open up the call, schools can engage, and we will lay out the criteria. It is important that we have shovel-ready projects, as Members often refer to them, because, typically, there will be some slippage in major capital projects during a financial year. Although we try to minimise that, it happens in all Departments. We then seek to spend funding on smaller capital-type schemes. It is important to have an extensive list of those opportunities, so that, at the end of the financial year, we are able to move quickly on, for example, an outdoor play project. I want to have a comprehensive list of applications available, so that all of them can be assessed. Like the Member, I very much want to promote synthetic pitches, but it is not for me to tell schools that they want a hockey pitch or a football pitch. Devenish College had an opportunity to have that when the school was being designed, but it chose to go with its current configuration. There are opportunities as part of Your School Your Club that the Department for Communities has advocated. That will also provide an opportunity for schools to link in with other funders. Take a synthetic pitch, for example. We will fund the creation of it, but, if it will be for wider community use, you will often need to go to the local authority. It can fund the provision of floodlights, for example. Schools operate in daylight hours, but, if you want the pitch to be used in the evening, you need to engage with other stakeholders. I very much encourage collaboration on what funding opportunities can be achieved from that and also engaging with local government authorities.

I suspect that the Member is late in asking me to go to Larne High School. I am pretty confident that my own party colleagues have already asked me to attend. Where I can incorporate other people, I am happy to do that. Larne High School is another example of why I have wanted to take forward the opportunities for that capital programme, because we do not have the provision that we need, particularly when it comes to PE. We now have a new programme and opportunity about which, at least, when I engage with schools, I can say, "Here is a programme to which you can make an application". It is not in the gift of any Minister to be able to show favouritism to one particular school and say, "You have a new pitch facility". We will build the appropriate criteria around all those programmes. There will be prioritisation, subject to all that criteria, and then the funding will flow. That now gives schools an opportunity to make an application towards those schemes.

I thank the Member for the question. I have outlined in the broader statement why I believe that the programme is needed. We all know that high-quality learning environments will help to support the delivery of the best outcomes for children and young people. We need to empower the great teachers that we have with great facilities. That combination will maximise the opportunity for young people to realise their potential. Historically, the Department's capital programme focused on new builds, major extensions and refurbishment. This will now allow us to advance into a new of way of doing things, with smaller capital works schemes being able to be developed. Of course, the Member has highlighted the issue of where prioritisation will be. We will work through that in establishing the appropriate criteria when we make the call early in the new year.

The schools will be able to spend the funding through their normal processes. There is an Education Authority catalogue. There is a detailed list of the various outdoor play equipment. They can draw down from that, and, that way, we can follow an audit to see whether the spend is being appropriately utilised. The range of funding that will be allocated will be between £2,000 and £5,000. It will be distributed to schools within the next number of weeks. That allows schools and those who are best placed to know what they need for their particular setting to be able to spend that funding. Particularly, in early years, they know how much equipment is needed and how often it can break down and need to be replaced. The scheme will be very much welcomed by those early years organisations.

The new curriculum-led capital investment programme builds on and sits alongside the special educational needs capital programme that we have announced. We are already looking at all 39 special schools to identify opportunities to enhance the provision in those schools. As part of this announcement, the provision of IT and computers will be extended to special schools to make sure that they get the opportunity to avail themselves of the most recent technology as well. The Member is right to highlight the need for an equitable and inclusive distribution of funding so that everybody in our society can benefit from it. That is what the schemes will allow us to do.

I thank the Member for his kind remarks. He asks why we are investing in computers and about the need for that technology. There are a number of reasons, which are well evidenced. The ETI report, 'A Baseline Evaluation of the Digital Skills provision in Primary and Post-primary Schools' and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) report, 'Software Skills for a 10X Economy: Digital Skills NI Network' highlighted that we have had a decline in the uptake of digital skills-based qualifications. That is having an impact. The number of girls who choose to study computer and software programming courses is also consistently low. More needs to be done to promote those programme pathways in order to meet the current and future needs of our economy. I mentioned in the statement that 42% of principals who responded to the PISA 2022 survey highlighted a lack of digital resources as a key barrier to teaching. That can be compared with 24% at an international level. There is a clear need to provide the technology. It will be fully deployed using Windows 11, so the engine that will run the computers will provide a modern technology framework. That will have a real impact. When people choose their subjects, they will know that that is the kind of computer that they will use . I picked my school because of the PE provision; that is what dictated where I wanted to go. Other people choose a school because they walk in and see incredible technology suites. The programme will help to enhance the courses that are available in schools for students who choose to pursue digital skills and to empower the teachers to effectively utilise modern technology.

Yes. Mr Buchanan asks an important question about other areas of the curriculum. The programme's aim is to invest in priority areas in order to support, enable and enhance delivery of the Northern Ireland curriculum. It is not envisaged that the programme will be static, but, rather, that the longer-term focus on PE will be supplemented by specific priorities for investment that will be identified annually. That will allow the programme to target investment flexibly and in line with identified areas of need. This year, we are looking at computing equipment to support digital literacy and outdoor play. Those are the first annual priorities for investment. They were informed by inspection evidence, wider research, my engagement with school leaders over the past 10 months and information that Members have brought to my attention. Over the coming months, I will work closely with educators to shape the annual priorities for future years. Early in the new year, as I indicated in the statement, we will launch a detailed survey for schools. That will aim to pinpoint further areas in which additional investment in equipment, resources and facilities is needed to enhance delivery of the Northern Ireland curriculum.

I thank the Member. He has had me in Foyle on numerous occasions to highlight the needs of the schools estate in his constituency. He asked about preschool providers outside the statutory nursery sector. Yes, they will be included. When it comes to the preschool year group, the funding opportunity will be available to them as well.

5,432 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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