Education Secretary visits Milton Keynes to see how school's rooftop solar installation is leading to big savings
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson visited Milton Keynes today (July 16) to see how a school’s rooftop solar installation is leading to big savings.
The Minister visited Milton Keynes Academy, located in Leadenhall, which has already had solar panels installed through a previous Department for Education funded programme, and is saving tens of thousands of pounds as a result.
During the visit, the Minister was joined by Milton Keynes Central MP Emily Darlington, as well as representatives from the Department for Education and colleagues from the Creative Education Trust.
The Secretary of State heard from students involved in the academy’s sustainability group as they discussed environmental issues that matter to them during a climate action workshop.
She also toured the school’s rooftop solar installation, learning about how the project has reduced carbon emissions and improved energy efficiency at the academy.
During the visit, the Minister announced that a further 100 schools were joining the Great British Energy Solar Partnership, backed by up to £40 million from the Government.
A total of 245 schools and colleges have already benefited from Government funded solar panels, while a further 150 are taking part in a pilot project, which will see the private sector installing and maintaining the panels at no upfront cost.
The Department for Education claims that secondary schools which have had solar panels installed, and their lights upgraded to LED lighting, are saving £58,600 a year, while primary schools are saving £21,000 annually.
Principal of Milton Keynes Academy Gordon Farquhar said: “It was a pleasure to welcome the Secretary of State to The Milton Keynes Academy and to give our students the opportunity to share their views on sustainability and climate action.
“Our students spoke with confidence, passion and optimism about the future, demonstrating the important role young people have in shaping environmental change.
"We are proud of the opportunities they have to engage with real-world issues while seeing sustainability in action across our academy.
"The solar installation at the academy has been transformational for our sustainability programme.
"It has helped reduce carbon emissions, improve our environmental performance and accelerate progress against our long-term sustainability strategy.”
The Education Secretary said: “Every pound a school saves on its energy bills is a pound that can be spent where it matters most - helping children achieve and thrive.
"These figures show our solar programme is already saving schools millions of pounds every year, with some secondary schools saving almost £60,000 annually.
"We're going further - expanding this programme so hundreds more schools and colleges can cut their bills and put that money straight back into the classroom."
The private sector solar pilot is set to inform a national rollout from 2027-2028, with the ambition that every school and college in England will eventually be able to access solar panels.