THREE schools in the borough are set to benefit from more than £5m of investment to spend on secondary education.

Newstead Wood School for Girls in Avebury Road, Orpington, will get £2.5m for a two-storey classroom and office block.

Darrick Wood School, Lovibonds Avenue, Orpington, will receive £1.7m towards the cost of a sixth form teaching block.

Hayes School, West Common Road, Hayes, has been awarded £1m to be spent on better facilities for its sixth form.

The school will also receive a further £120,000 to set up an integrated unit for secondary-aged pupils with speech and language difficulties.

Funding is specifically being spent on post-16 facilities as 80 per cent of youngsters in Bromley now choose to stay in education after school.

Portfolio holder for children and young people Councillor Ernest Noad said: “This is just the beginning of an extensive programme to secure and enhance the future success of secondary school education across the borough.

“We have lobbied long and hard to secure these essential funds."

He added: “Bromley is a high performing authority with a large number of the country’s most outstanding secondary schools.

“In order for us to continue this remarkable level of excellence and innovation among our young students and their teachers, the buildings in which they study and work must also be maintained.

“This is spending to save money long-term by avoiding more costly rebuilds if nothing is done in the near future.

“We know that more funding is needed and we are working hard to achieve this.”