Government cash for island school

The new building will be a combined school for three to 16-year-olds

A new school is to be built on the Isles of Scilly after the government announced it would put up between £5m and £9m.

To obtain the higher amount they will need proved that building a school on the island will cost almost twice as much as on the mainland.

League tables shows the Isles of Scilly as the top performing local authority in the South West for GCSEs.

There are about 260 pupils at the Five Islands School.

The school has five bases. St Mary's has a primary and a secondary school and the off-islands of Tresco, St Agnes and St Martin's have primary sites.

Freight costs

When off-island pupils reach secondary age, they are offered a place at Mundesley hostel during the week so they do not have to travel to school every day by boat.

Head teacher Andrew Penman said it was good news for the islands, but it will now be down to parents, teachers, governors and the local authority to convince the Department for Education and Skills to release the maximum budget.

"Bearing in mind the additional costs of building on Scilly - in the region of 50% - we are going to need about the £8m or £9m figure.

"£9m was what we bid for and we've been challenged to justify why such a figure is needed."

Mr Penman said the cost of freight for materials and accommodation for people involved in the build were the most significant.

The new combined school for three to 16-year-olds will be based on St Mary's and it is hoped the school will be completed by September 2010.