Press release: First ever LEP set up
03 July 2006
Bristol City Council, Skanska and Partnerships for Schools confirmed today that they reached financial close on the first-ever Local Education Partnership (LEP) on Friday 30 June. The LEP will deliver the first stage of the city’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, representing some £173m of capital investment.
The LEP, which is set up for a minimum of 10 years, will deliver capital allowing the development of new schools as well as the refurbishment of the city’s secondary school estate in a manner that will transform education delivery. The programme will integrate ICT provision into school design for the first time in Bristol at a programme level – £8m of new ICT will be included in the initial projects, offering the real opportunity for personalised learning for all.
This announcement also heralds a milestone for BSF, and brings the national programme into the very real phase of school delivery, while providing the means of addressing the significant challenges facing the education community in Bristol.
Over the last six months, the partners have demonstrated a clear and robust ability to work together effectively towards the goal of educational transformation for Bristol. In advance of financial close, Skanska commenced work to ensure the first school, Speedwell Technology College, will be ready on time in September 2007.
Jim Knight, Minister of State for Schools, said "This is excellent news and shows that Building Schools for the Future is really moving forward. This Government is committed to an unprecedented rebuild and upgrade of our school stock. Under BSF every secondary school in England will be rebuilt or refurbished ensuring that children are learning in an environment fit for the 21st century." "
Councillor Jos Clark, Bristol City Council’s Executive Member for Children and Young People’s Services, said: “The partnership and all it brings to Bristol schools demonstrates that Building Schools for the Future is so much more than new buildings. There are so many positive things happening now in education to bring real and lasting improvement. But this initiative, perhaps more than all the others, feels like the start of something big for the city.
“We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Bristol City Council in bidding for and winning this prestigious project,” said Barry White, Director of Education, Skanska. “Having developed the project over the last 18 months it is now very exciting to be delivering first class schools for Bristol. Setting up the Local Education Partnership provides an opportunity to work very closely with the local authority and stakeholders on future projects.”
Partnerships for Schools’ Chief Executive Richard Bowker said “Today is hugely important not only for the schoolchildren, parents, teachers and communities of Bristol, but also for the BSF programme across the whole of England. The Bristol team have worked phenomonally hard and are to be congratulated for keeping to the planned timetables for school delivery. We have proved that the Local Education Partnerhsip is the right way forward to develop real partnerships based on common goals.”
The first phase of the partnership will see the rebuilding of Brislington Enterprise College, Hartcliffe Engineering Community College, Speedwell Technology College and Whitefield Fishponds Community School. The programme is funded through central government Private Finance Initiative (PFI) credits worth £150.7 million together with some £9.5m of the council's own funds, and there will be ongoing consultation with parents, students, staff and the community as the project develops.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is the largest single schools capital investment programme for over 50 years. The aim is to rebuild or renew every one of England?s 3,500 state secondary schools during the 15-year lifetime of the £45 billion programme.
- Partnerships for Schools (PfS) is the delivery agency for Building Schools for the Future. PfS was established in April 2004 as a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), and is operated and funded under a joint venture between DfES and Partnerships UK.
- Bristol City Council is a BSF pathfinder, and four schools will be rebuilt or renewed in the first phase of BSF work. The next work will be in waves 4-6, as recently announced, and the LEP has exclusive rights to this work, subject to continuous savings.
- The LEP will use £8.6 million of funding for new ICT provision for the four sites as well as for north Bristol's new Redland Green School. Enhanced community leisure facilities are planned for the Hartcliffe and Speedwell sites in conjunction with the main proposals.
In addition to mainstream provision on the four sites, 50 places for pupils with Severe Learning Difficulties and 30 places for 14-16 year-olds at risk of exclusion have been incorporated into the proposals for the Hartcliffe Education Campus. Facilities for 20 pupils with Complex Learning Difficulties will be available at the Brislington site.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
Kate Hartas, Education Press Officer, Bristol City Council
0117 922 2649
kate_hartas@bristol-city.gov.uk
Jamie Robertson, External Communications Officer, Skanska UK
01923 423030
jamie.robertson@skanska.co.uk
