Building schools for the
future to be accelerated and streamlined under new proposals
DEPARTMENT FOR
CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES News Release (2008/0072) issued by
The Government News Network on 9 April 2008
- Next steps in
secondary school building programme -
- BSF waves 7-15 local authority consultation published today -
Every local authority could have the opportunity to join Building
Schools for the Future (BSF) earlier, under proposals to
accelerate entry into the programme published for consultation
today by Schools Minister Jim Knight.
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 the Government now wants the remaining 76 local authorities
to join the once-in-a-generation programme as fast as possible.
Under existing plans, wave seven will be launched in early 2009,
with funding coming on stream in 2011. But a handful of remaining
local authorities would not see any BSF building project start
until wave 15.
Today's public consultation on managing waves seven to 15
and deciding the order in which those authorities not yet in the
programme will join BSF. It includes proposals that:
* all local authorities will have a chance to join BSF as soon as
they have strong 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.
Jim Knight said:
"Our record investment over the last 11 years has already
swept away historic underinvestment in secondary schools
facilities. Building Schools for the Future takes this further and
aims to transform the shape of education for future generations.
"Today's consultation asks important questions on how
best to manage the remainder of the programme.
"The early waves of BSF have already wider local authority
areas with the highest level of need. We now want to target
children and schools with the greatest needs, wherever they live,
to benefit as soon as possible.
"Instead of waiting, we want to give them more scope to
target pockets of deprivation and underperforming schools now - by
giving the remaining local authorities the chance of early entry
as soon as they are ready.
"Now that local authorities' original expressions of
interest are over four years old it is right to take stock again -
to reflect our 14-19 reforms; the expanded academy programme;
extended schools facilities; and ambition for housing wider
community provision within schools to be the norm.
"We have been open about the lessons that we have learnt
from the early stages. Partnerships for Schools and our other
partners have made massive strides in strengthening the
management, procurement and planning of projects - and we are
seeing the benefits month-by-month and week-by-week."
12 BSF-funding schools have opened so far - as well as over 1100
primary, secondary and special schools, built or almost completely
refurbished since 1997 outside the programme. By 2011, at least
200 new or refurbished schools will be opening a year.
Overall schools annual capital spending is set to rise seven-fold
in real terms from under £700million in 1997-98 to £6.669billion
this year, with funding rising again to £8.235billion in 2010-11.
The three year settlement includes another £9.3billion earmarked
for BSF over the next three years.
The consultation runs until July 4. 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.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The consultation runs from 9 April until 4 July. It is
available at: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations/
2. Building Schools for the Future is the largest capital
investment programme in schools for 50 years. It aims to renew all
secondary schools in England provide world-class teaching and
learning environments for all pupils, teachers and communities in
England, subject to future public spending decisions.
3. 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.
4. The £21.9billion funding settlement for 2008-09; 2009-10 and
2010-11 was announced last October. For more information visit: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2007_0185
5. 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.
PUBLIC ENQUIRIES:
0870 000 2288
info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk
INTERNET ADDRESS :
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk
YOUTUBE
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/findoutmore
http://uk.youtube.com/dcsf
If you would like to receive email notification of new press
notices in the subjects of your choice, please click on
'register' on our site: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk,
'Latest News'.