MORE than £40 million is to be spent on rebuilding or refurbishing primary schools over the next three years.

Staffordshire schools are due to get £16 million, Cheshire schools are in line for £14.4 million and Stoke-on-Trent primaries will get a £10.7 million share of the money.

It will go towards a wide range of schemes, from extra security measures and replacement kitchens through to brand new schools and extensions to existing schools.

The cash is coming from the Government's primary capital programme, and will be distributed between 2009 and 2011. It is the first instalment of a 14-year scheme.

In Stoke-on-Trent, the initial grant will go towards completing a new building for Gladstone Primary, in Sandford Hill, and rebuilding Grange Primary and Grange Nursery, in Meir.

Etruscan Primary, in Etruria, St Mark's Primary, in Shelton, St Mary's Primary, in Tunstall, and St Augustine's Catholic Primary, in Meir, could also be getting some new classrooms.

The Sentinel revealed in February that Stoke-on-Trent City Council was bidding for around £70 million over the lifetime of the scheme.

Projects which hinge on winning grants in later rounds of the primary capital programme include rebuilding Sneyd Green Primary and new buildings for both Christ Church Primary, in Fenton, and Sutherland Primary, in Blurton.

Cheshire County Council is concentrating on using the first wave of cash to fund several ongoing school reorganisation projects.

These include the amalgamation of Cledford Infant and Junior schools, in Middlewich, in the New Year.

More controversial schemes include creating a joint Church Of England and Catholic primary school in Macclesfield – the first joint faith school in Cheshire.

In Staffordshire, some of the money will be spent on relocating a Lichfield special school and upgrading several East Staffordshire primary schools.

More details of how the investment will affect schools in Newcastle, Stafford and the Moorlands will be revealed at a later stage.

One possibility is to create an education village, with a primary, secondary and special school all based on the same campus.

Robert Simpson, deputy leader of Staffordshire County Council, pictured, said: "Staffordshire has a particularly strong record of achievement at primary level and we are excited that this extra investment will help us provide world-class facilities for our pupils."

Roger Ibbs, the city council's portfolio holder for children and young people's services, said: "It is part of the jigsaw of funding, which also includes the University Quarter and Building Schools For The Future."