Here you can read all about the Building schools for the Future initiative. You can also find out more about the facilities at Blyth College and the effect they are having on learning.
What is Building Schools for the Future?
Building schools for the Future is a new, strategic approach to capital investment in school buildings that will create the environment for the Government’s agenda of educational transformation.
One hundred and eighty schools across England are to benefit from over £2 billion of investment into school buildings.
Prime Minister Tony Blair said:
"Over time this investment will see the entire secondary school building stock upgraded and refurbished in the greatest school renewal programme in British history."
Fourteen local education authorities have been asked to take part in the Government’s first wave of the Building Schools for the Future programme from 2005/6.
Under the scheme, every child will be educated in a 21st Century environment within 15 years. Schools will be rebuilt, remodelled or upgraded to provide flexible, inclusive, attractive learning environments that teachers want to teach in and pupils want to learn in.
The schools will have high quality facilities and integrated information technology to help deliver personalised learning tailored to the needs, interests and aptitudes of every child.
Building Schools for the Future will allow for innovative organisation of the school structure and hours to support workforce reform; involve the community by extending its facilities; and provide for new 14-19 arrangements.
An estimated 200 schools across the country will benefit from a share of £2.1 billion capital investment in the first wave of the programme with building due to commence in 2005-06 in the following Local Education Authorities:
Bradford; Bristol; Gateshead and South Tyneside; Greenwich with Southwark and Lewisham; Knowsley; Leeds; Manchester; Newcastle-upon-Tyne; Newham; Sheffield; Solihull; Stoke-on-Trent; Sunderland; and Waltham Forest. The two reserve authorities are Leicester and Lancashire.
What is the Government doing?
Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is about more than fixing leaking roofs. The scale of BSF allows the opportunity to move from patch and mend spending on individual schools to strategic investment on whole Local Education Authorities estates, and across local authority boundaries.
A new body Partnerships for Schools will support the Government in selecting areas to receive investment; develop innovative and effective models to streamline procurement and create long-term Public Private Partnership to deliver the programme.
Partnerships for Schools will work with LEAs, helping them to select a private sector partner to form Local Education Partnerships that will bring together the best private sector expertise to construct, maintain and operate the new facilities, supporting Head teachers in creating new schools and allowing teachers to focus on what they do best.
BSF is providing £2.2 billion for school capital investment for 2005-06, representing two-fifths of total school capital spending. The remaining three-fifths will be allocated to LEAs and schools through the existing successful capital programmes.
Capital funding available for investment in school buildings has risen sharply from £683 million in 1996-97 to £3.8 billion in 2003-4. It increases further to £4.5 billion in 2004-06 and to £5.1 billion in 2005-06.
BSF will include both conventional and Public Finance Initiative funding. Of the £2.2 billion for BSF, £1.2 billion (55.5%) will be covered by Public Finance Initiative credits.
The indicative funding allocation aims to allow for a total of almost 200 new schools to be built between the first wave and Pathfinder authorities.
Existing successful programmes will be maintained, and capital available for primary schools will be increased in the Spending Review period.
Blyth College
Blyth College opened in 2002 replacing the town’s two secondary schools and offering an expanded curriculum and extended school facilities for Years 9 to 13.
The £15 million school, funded partly through a New Deal regeneration programme aims to tackle low student aspirations in the former coalmining community, and address the long term unemployment which has afflicted generations of families in the town.
The inspirational new building houses extended facilities for community use - a library, opening learning centre, cyber café, sports and leisure facilities, crèche and a Youth Support Centre.
The improved facilities have enabled the college to expand the curriculum, offering courses for the first time in the performing and visual arts. New courses are succeeding in attracting more pupils to stay on for sixth form education - from 30% in 2000 to 52% in 2002. The number of students leaving school with no qualifications has now fallen from 15% to 3%.
This is attributed to an improved sense of pride and ownership by pupils and the local community which uses the facilities. The improved security provided by CCTV cameras has also had an impact on reducing opportunities for bullying, creating a safer and more secure environment for students, and in turn improving attendance and behaviour.
Blyth Community College is a very good example of design which has enabled a school to drive home their educational plans. Blyth is now on target to achieve its aim of 30% five A* - Cs in GCSEs in summer 2004, and these are anticipated to rise to 40% in 2005.
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