The £28m deal for the North West 2 batch marks the first win for Willmott Dixon in the initial wave of priority school projects.

A source told the Enquirer: “Willmott Dixon looks to have picked up the five projects in the North West which is a relief for all concerned because they have such a good track record on school building.”

The award means that on work value, Bam Construct has come out top in the first wave with clutches of schools in London and the Midlands, together worth around £100m.

Wates comes second in the rankings after securing two batches of schools, worth around £70m.

Interserve was the only shortlisted bidder to fail to secure a school rebuild.

The firm worked up a cost-saving design for schools called PodSolve in the hope of securing work.

But Interserve will get another chance to bid for Government funded schools after the Government revealed it would be extending the programme with £300m of capital funding in the current spending review period.

This will enable an early start for 27 further schools. These include a further eight schools in the West Midlands worth £39m, a second programme of schools in the north east and east of England, together worth £123m and a third trance of half a dozen schools in the North West, expected to cost £48m.

The final roll call of winners will be confirmed shortly but the first wave has come in cheaper than the £400m earmarked by Government.