SWINDON Schools are set for a £631,074 Government windfall the town's share of a £167 million package announced by schools minister Jacqui Smith.

The money will be paid directly to schools under the Government's New Deal for Schools and will help with refurbishment and improvements to school buildings.

A typical secondary school will get £32,000, a primary over £12,000 and a special school between £9,000 and £16,000.

Funding will increase year on year, so that by 2003-4, a typical secondary school will get around £50,000 a year and a primary £16,000.

In Swindon, every school over three years old will benefit from the new handout, which comes on top of £721,000 distributed to schools in April.

Letters will be sent to each school next week outlining how much they will receive.

The actual amount allocated to each school will be worked out on the number of pupils at the school, with extra weighting given for pupils with special educational needs.

Schools will be able to carry this money forward to the next financial year if they wish.

Councillor Chris Eley, lead member for lifelong learning at Swindon Council, said: "I am sure schools will make maximum use of this money to improve standards by improving the conditions in which children learn."