Press release: Prime Minister celebrates opening of first BSF school

06 September 2007

Prime Minister Gordon Brown today formally opened the first brand new school built under Building Schools for the Future (BSF) - the government’s flagship capital investment programme to transform education by rebuilding or renewing every state secondary school in England.

Joined by Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families and Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Schools, the Prime Minister visited Bristol Brunel Academy to mark the start of the first term in the first brand new BSF school.

Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Schools, the government agency responsible for delivering the BSF programme, said:

“Today is a day of celebration. Bristol Brunel Academy is wonderful news for the young people, teachers and local community here in Bristol, giving them a fresh start, new opportunities and state-of-the art facilities.

“Bristol Brunel Academy exemplifies what we are trying to achieve through the BSF programme and we are working hard with local authorities and the private sector market so that every child in England has the same opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential. 

“Building Schools for the Future will help us to build better and brighter futures for all of our young people, our teachers and our communities.

“Partnerships for Schools seeks to harness the best of the public and private  sectors to deliver learning environments that our young people deserve and of which we can all be proud. I congratulate the Bristol Local Education Partnership on their commitment and resolute focus on achieving that goal and I look forward to seeing the very real difference that this school makes here in Bristol – to students, to teachers and to the local community more broadly.”

Boasting state-of-the-art ICT facilities and building on links with the local area by offering dual school/community use of leisure facilities, the £24m school provides a 21st Century learning environment which will help engage and inspire young people, helping them unlock their talent and realise their full potential.

Pupils and teachers of Bristol Brunel Academy have contributed to the design of the school, including suggesting features that would help reduce bullying and anti-social behaviours. In the design and construction of the school, there has also been a strong focus on sustainability to help reduce the carbon footprint of the school.

John Burgess, General Manager of Bristol Local Education Partnership (LEP), said:

"Bristol Brunel Academy marks the start of a new era for schools in Bristol and the rest of England. Students and the wider community will be now able to benefit from this vibrant new facility which is the impressive result of the close co-operation between the LEP, Skanska, the Academy and Bristol City Council."

Notes to Editors:

1. 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 lifetime of the programme.
2. Through BSF, Local Authorities select a private sector partner to work with on an exclusive basis to rebuild or renew their schools. Many Local Authorities are now beginning to recognise the flexibility of this model that enables them to deliver wider local investments, such as primary schools, healthcare, housing and whole regeneration strategies. These wider investment opportunities within Local Authority areas offered through BSF also introduce a strong commercial imperative that drives private sector performance on flexibility, value for money and fees.
3. Designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects, Bristol Brunel Academy is a 1,080-place secondary school for 11 – 16 year olds and provides a 100-place sixth form. Under its Principal, Armando Di-Finizio, the new school will specialise in communications.
4. Three other schools in Bristol are being rebuilt under the BSF programme: Brislington Enterprise College; Whitefield Fishponds Community School; and Hartcliffe Education Campus. The remainder of Bristol’s secondary schools will be rebuilt or refurbished in later waves of the programme.
5. Bristol City Council was the first local authority to create a Local Education Partnership to rebuild its secondary schools under BSF. The LEP is a 10-year partnership between Bristol City Council, Partnerships for Schools (through Building Schools for the Future Investments) and Skanska. Other partners involved in delivering this first brand new BSF school include:
   • Architect – Wilkinson Eyre Architects
   • Building Services Designers – Buro Happold
   • Construction – Skanska
   • Maintenance, security and catering – Skanska
   • ICT Managed Service – Northgate Information Solutions
   • Management of Leisure Facilities - Skanska
6. John Cabot Academy is the educational sponsor of Bristol Brunel Academy, one of the first partnerships of its type in the country. David Carter, the Principal of John Cabot is now the Executive Principal of both academies and has a strategic role in the development and improvement of both schools.
7. 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 DCSF and Partnerships UK.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
Amy Leonard, Communications Director, Partnerships for Schools: 07960 116966