Building schools for the future - update

17/04/2008 by Tony Attwood.

If there is one government programme that worries me it is Building Schools for the Future. The government has just announced proposals to accelerate entry into the programme - but I wonder about the schools, their designs, their development, and everything else.

According to the government over 1000 school building projects in 72 local authorities are already under way in the first six waves of BSF, to give all secondary school pupils world-class teaching and learning facilities. And they now want the remaining 76 local authorities to join the programme as fast as possible.

The new public consultation is on managing waves the programme and deciding the order in which those authorities not yet in the programme will join BSF. Details are below, but if I may put my concern in first…. I have been continuously annoyed by the way that plans for building new schools have focussed on nice designs rather than any concept of what will be the approach to teaching and learning in ten years time - not least taking into account the issues of where information technology is teaching us.

There is just one report that does bring together the two issues - the school’s structure and traditions on the one hand, and the new approach to education through ICT on the other. It is published by the British Council and I found it one of the most interesting things I’ve read this year. It is “Learning Technologies and Schools of the Future” and is available as a download at

http://www.bcse.uk.net/downloads/IC8647_BCSE_Brochure_V7.pdf 12

BSF-funding schools have opened so far – plus 1100 primary, secondary and special schools, built or almost completely refurbished since 1997 outside the programme. By 2011, the government says at least 200 new or refurbished schools will be opening a year.

Overall the government promises that schools’ annual capital spending will rise seven-fold in real terms from under £700million in 1997-98 to £6.669 billion this year, with funding rising again to £8.235 billion in 2010-11. The three year settlement includes another £9.3billion earmarked for BSF over the next three years. Meanwhile this is what the government says for English schools…

• all local authorities will have a chance to join BSF as soon as they have plans to deliver at least an initial, streamlined project of four or five schools – including tackling the most under-performing or failing schools and those in pockets of deprivation;

• BSF will have a wider range of criteria to decide how projects should be prioritised – including areas with major social regeneration and development projects; schools with the poorest infrastructure to avoid costly short-term patch and mend; and areas which are planning wider community facilities, including Children’s Centres, extended school facilities and broader provision for young people;

• local authorities will join BSF in a rolling programme when they are ready – rather than waiting for formal, set year-on-year launches;

• some projects will no longer be required to include schools in the same geographical part of a local authority area. This would give local authorities greater flexibility to invest in schools and target funding exactly where it is needed; and

• neighbouring local authorities should work closer in setting up Local Education Partnerships (LEPs), to get the most efficient procurement, planning and building programmes in place.

All 76 local authorities, that have not yet joined the programme, will be invited to revise their existing expressions of interests between August and October – which will decide how projects will be grouped in the future.

The next authorities to enter programme will be announced next spring and the exact roll-out will continue to be dependent on future public spending decisions. The consultation runs from 9 April until 4 July. It is available at:

 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations/

Background

Building Schools for the Future’s first six waves have been launched, and 90 projects in 72 authorities have now been started in the programme, prioritised on social and educational need. Additional “One School Pathfinder” funding has been allocated to a further 39 authorities which are later in the programme, to enable them to renew their neediest schools, and 81 authorities have academies open or in development.

In all, about 1000 schools are now being renewed through these strategic programmes, including around 180 which are becoming Academies.

To date, 12 schools with BSF funding have been completed, a further 35 are expected to open in 2008-09, and 18 schemes have reached financial close. There are also around 90 Academy projects currently being delivered via BSF or the National Framework. The £21.9billion funding settlement for 2008-09; 2009-10 and 2010-11 was announced last October.

Partnerships for Schools is the delivery agency for Building Schools for the Future. PfS was established in April 2004 as a non-department public body and is operated and funded under a joint venture between the Department for Children, Schools and Families and Partnerships UK.

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Tony Attwood

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