A question mark is still hanging over the exact amount of funding to be released for the Isle of Sheppey Academy.

We reported last week that both sites of the academy, in Minster and Sheerness, have been given the go-ahead after weeks of uncertainty.

The future of the school was thrown into doubt after the government scrapped the £55 billion Building Schools for the Future Programme.

It was then announced by Education Secretary Michael Gove that funding had been released for the Sheppey school and the project is guaranteed.

However, despite numerous attempts, the Times Guardian has still not been able to get a definitive response on whether the funding will be for the full £54 million.

A spokesman for the academy and a spokesman for Kent County Council said as far as they are aware, they had been given the go-ahead to proceed “as planned” and their understanding is that this will be with the full amount.

But a spokesman for the Department for Education said the project would go ahead with the capital it needs, but it would be looking at any possible savings which could be made to reduce costs and make it as cost-effective as possible.

The spokesman said they could not give an exact amount at the moment.

Sheppey MP Gordon Henderson said that while he understood the government needed to make savings, the most important thing was that the Island got what it was promised.

He said: “I’m confident we are going to get the scheme originally proposed but it may be that they are able to cut some of the bureaucracy and some of the consultation fees.

“If they can find ways of cutting out waste then that’s great – as long as we get the funds needed to build our schools.”