Seven primary schools in Tendring have such bad conditions they are being given priority in a bid for private funding.

Frinton, Great Bentley, Great Bromley, Harwich, Engaines in Little Clacton, Ramsey and Wix primary schools are part of a preliminary bid by Essex County Council to the Government for Private Finance Initiative credit.

A report to go before Tendring Council's community and communications board next week states: "The schools badly need premises improvements and Tendring is, therefore, being given priority in the county."

If the PFI is successful the seven schools could be refurbished or even completely rebuilt.

Overcrowding, large numbers of temporary classrooms, outdoor toilet facilities and poor structures are the main problems.

Doug Brown, head at Engaines Primary School, said: "The biggest issue is the actual amount of classes being held in either temporary accommodation or in buildings not linked to the school.

"In this seven-class school, two are held in the main building, four in temporary classrooms and one in a classroom not attached to the main building.

"This makes us one of the worst school sites in the county and in poor weather children have to come across to the main building to use the computers or for assembly."

Mr Brown said the initiative was exciting and although it would involve a lot of work, it would be worth it if the school was refurbished or rebuilt.

Similar problems are faced at St George's Primary School in Great Bromley where some temporary classrooms have been on the site for the past 27 years, there are outside toilets and generally little space.

It is a similar story at Ramsey Primary School, where there are temporary classrooms and children have to cross the playground to use toilet facilities.

It is currently part of a county council education review along with Great Oakley Primary School and Little Oakley Infants School and could see a completely new school building if it is amalgamated with the infants school at Little Oakley.

And campaigners have for years been calling for a new building for Harwich Primary School to replace the Victorian building in Main Road.

County education spokesman Mike Barnett said the PFI bid is at an early stage.

If it is successful, school governors will have to accept the terms of a private sector consortium in relation to re-building costs and long term agreements on school services like catering and cleaning.

At the meeting on Wednesday, Tendring councillors will be urged to support the scheme in view of the poor conditions at the school sites.

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