Press release: Financial close for Waltham Forest's BSF programme
24 September 2007
State of the art schools and multi-million pound investment in education are on the way to Waltham Forest after the Council announced its partners for the £250 million Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.
The programme will see new improved buildings which will inspire and encourage high class teaching and help improve pupils' attainment.
And work has already started on the plan with Waltham Forest the first London borough to have established a fully functioning Local Education Partnership and one of the first to start building a new BSF funded school - the Frederick Bremer School. Refurbishment of Kelmscott School is also well underway.
Other early projects are the multi-million pound refurbishment of the listed Walthamstow School for Girls.
Cllr Chris Robbins, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said “We are determined that young people in Waltham Forest have the best possible education, and this programme will give us some fantastic schools to help us achieve that.
“We are looking forward to the first openings in September next year and completing our programme in time for the Olympics in 2012.”
One of the first successes of the Local Education Partnership has seen Construction Web (the borough’s support agency for the construction sector) working closely with Bouyges UK to develop a training programme for local residents.
The first trainee has been taken to the BSF scheme as a concrete technician. Residents who want to become involved in similar training schemes should contact the Council’s Olympic Job Brokerage Scheme on 020 8888 9887 or they can register on www.talent.co.uk.
The new Local Education Partnership is made up of Partnerships for Schools, the Council and Bouygues Partnership for Education and the Community (BPEC) and will be responsible for the rebuild or refurbishment of every secondary school in the Borough.
The partnership is led by construction company Bouygues UK along with its sister company, facilities management provider Ecovert FM, and HSBC Infrastructure. Education ICT specialist Ramesys will provide a managed ICT service, initially to all secondary schools in Walthamstow and, by 2010, to all secondary schools in the Borough.
Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Schools, the government agency responsible for delivering the BSF programme also welcomed the announcement:
“This is excellent news for the young people, teachers and the wider local communities in Waltham Forest and we congratulate the Local Education Partnership on reaching this milestone. Waltham Forest becomes the 11th local authority to reach financial close, signalling a continued acceleration in the delivery of the programme as a whole. At its heart, BSF is about transforming education and improving the life chances of millions of young people and I look forward to seeing the difference that it makes in Waltham Forest.”
Pascal Minault, Managing Director of Bouygues UK, said: “The Bouygues Partnership for Education and Community is delighted to have been chosen as Waltham Forest's partner to develop all the secondary schools in the Borough. We're incredibly proud to be part of this education transformation journey, which will not only raise teaching standards, but provide an excellent environment for improving pupil achievement.”
Bill Donoghue, Chief Executive Ramesys, said: "I am delighted that Ramesys will be working with the London Borough of Waltham Forest and such a strong team to help transform its schools. We look forward to delivering ICT solutions that reflect their 21st century vision for learning in schools and the community."
ENDS
