Around £2bn has been committed for construction work under the latest wave.

The first phase of the programme pledged cash for 260 schools back in May 2012.

The Priority School Building Programme is designed to be faster and cheaper than the Building Schools for the Future initiative which it replaced.

The Government said: “Under the BSF it took three years for construction work to begin.

“This was slashed to one year for the Priority School Building Programme, with projects costing around a third less.”

Latest figures show that of the first wave of 260 Priority School Building Programme projects 16 school buildings are already open, 55 are under construction and the remaining projects are “well into the development or planning stages.”

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: “It is crucial that we invest properly in education, so that every child has a fair start in life. ​

“Thousands of pupils will benefit from better, brighter, warmer classrooms thanks to this ​funding.

“Children can’t learn and teachers can’t teach in schools that are cold and have leaking roofs.”

For a full list of the successful schools in the second wave click here