Partnerships for Schools



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Press Releases

Press Releases

Press release: Selected bidder for Islington

31 May 2007

Islington Council's Press Release

Modern schools with first class facilities took a step closer to becoming reality in Islington, as the council announced its selected bidder in its ambitious programme to re-build and refurbish its secondary schools.

Islington Council has announced that Transform Schools is the winning bidder, who will work with the council on its Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

Together the council and local schools put Transform Schools through a rigorous selection process, evaluating their proposals to design, refurbish and rebuild many of the borough's secondary schools. How they would provide a top quality ICT and maintenance service was an important part of the selection process, and the council also considered how well the company would work as a partner. Schools also met frequently with the bidders, and pupils told them how they would want their ideal school to look.

Cllr Ursula Woolley, Islington Council's Executive Member for Children and Young People, said: "This is a huge step forwards for education in Islington. We need to get it right, which is why our standards for choosing a BSF partner were so high. We've been clear the whole time that the new school buildings need to welcome, inspire and support all Islington pupils to help them achieve their full potential. Investing in our secondary schools and the future of all our young people is a top priority for the council -- that's why we're putting millions of pounds into it.

"So there's plenty to look forward to, but much to celebrate already. Islington schools have never been better. Exam results are at their highest level ever, and Ofsted consistently gives the borough's schools the thumbs up. Things have never looked brighter for education in Islington."

Bob Hamlyn, Headteacher at Holloway School, which will be one of the first to benefit from BSF investment, said: "I've often said that I'm proud of the school's pupils and teachers - but embarrassed by the buildings. They've sometimes been a barrier to school improvement.

"The way the council has handled BSF has been very good. Schools have really been able to lead on issues and to guide architects to create designs that work for our schools."

Over the next five years, the council will be investing around £140 million in making all of Islington's secondary schools fit for purpose. BSF is a major part of this investment, and will not only see substantial rebuilding and refurbishment of eight secondary schools, but a transformation in the way that education is delivered. Islington Council's Executive chose Transform as the successful bidder at its meeting last Thursday (24 May).

Helen Wills, Chief Executive of Transform Schools said "We are delighted to have been chosen as Islington's partner to deliver this exciting investment programme for the borough's secondary schools. The competitive dialogue process with its focus on
consultation has resulted in designs, which are both educationally focused and sustainable and will be built in a way that will minimise disruption to the existing schools.

"This project is a great opportunity both for the school children of Islington and for the wider community and we will be extending our local labour initiative created in connection with Homes for Islington for this project, thereby providing a further 28 apprenticeships".

Islington is the first local authority in the country to procure their BSF project under the new EU 'Competitive Dialogue' regulations, applicable to all complex procurements advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) since 31 January 2006.

Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Schools, said: "We congratulate Islington on nominating their selected bidder, which is great news for the national BSF programme, and even better news for the school children and communities of Islington. The new and improved buildings, facilities and technology will have an enormous impact on education and the life chances of every child."

Tim acknowledged the hard work of Islington's bidding consortia. "All of the bidders have worked well with Islington and their stakeholders in navigating the new procurement route. We thank them for their efforts."

Ends

(*ICT = Information and Communication Technology)

Notes for Editors:

  1. The chosen bidder and its partners are:
    Bidder - Transform Schools, with key partners:
    Construction - Balfour Beatty Capital
    Architects - Building Design Partnership.
    Facilities management -- Haden Building Management
    ICT - RM
  2.  The improvements to secondary schools are part of a wider Islington Schools for the Future programme - which proposes to modernise both primary and secondary schools. The community will benefit from excellent educational facilities and opportunities from infancy through to adulthood.
  3. The programme will be delivered in phases, and work on the first-phase schools will start early next year.
  4. Phase one schools: Highbury Grove School (including relocation of the secondary element of Samuel Rhodes and an enhanced sixth form), Holloway School and St Aloysius R.C. College will be the first three schools to benefit from the multi-million-pound boost.
  5. Phase two schools: Central Foundation Boys School, Islington Arts and Media School, Elizabeth Garret Anderson Language College and PRU 1.
  6. Phase three schools: Highbury Fields School, Mount Carmel Technology College for Girls and PRU 2.
  7. The procurement process was carried out according to rigorous regulations laid down by the European Union. Schools were involved in detailed talks with the bidders as part of this process. This was a real opportunity for pupils and teachers to input into to how their schools of the future will look and work.
  8. 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 programme.
  9. 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.

Issued by:

Verity Cork Media Officer, Islington Council
Room G12, Islington Town Hall, Upper Street, N1 2UD
verity.cork@islington.gov.uk
020 7527 1855 or 2307
www.islington.gov.uk/Council/CouncilNews/PressOffice