Partnerships for Schools



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Partnerships for Schools
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Press Releases

Press Releases

15 BSF projects reach Financial Close by end of 2007

31 December 2007

Progress in the national Building Schools for the Future programme has reached a new milestone with 15 contracts now signed – four of them completing in December.

Lewisham, Knowsley, Leicester and STaG (South Tyneside and Gateshead) all reached Financial Close this month, with Lancashire also signing contracts for the second phase of its BSF programme.

Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Schools, said: ‘2007 has been a year of significant delivery for the national BSF programme, with momentum building all the time. Nothing signifies this more than the fact that four projects have made it to Financial Close in this month alone. This is particularly welcome news at the end of a very busy year in these areas, and means that work to build or remodel even more BSF schools will be under way in 2008.

‘The past 12 months has seen a number of firsts for Partnerships for Schools as the Building Schools for the Future programme goes from strength to strength. We have seen the opening of the first brand new BSF school, the Bristol Brunel Academy, on time and on budget; the first school to be delivered by a Local Education Partnership (LEP), a new generation of public private partnership; the first Selected Bidders for academies using the PfS National Framework launched at the start of 2007; and the first local authority to reach Financial Close for the second phase of its BSF programme.

‘We have also seen more evidence coming through, such as the First Annual Evaluation of the BSF programme, of how strongly headteachers believe the BSF programme will lead to improved teaching and learning.

‘We are looking forward to 2008 being an even better year for PfS, for the Building Schools for the Future programme, and for the students, teachers and local communities who will soon be enjoying new centres of learning in their areas.’

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. 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 (formerly DfES) and Partnerships UK.
  3. The 15 BSF projects to have reached Financial Close are (in alphabetical order): Bradford, Bristol, Greenwich, Knowsley, Lambeth, Lancashire, Leeds, Leicester, Lewisham, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Solihull, STaG (South Tyneside and Gateshead) and Waltham Forest.
  4. South Tyneside and Gateshead (STaG) is the first joint authority BSF scheme to reach this milestone; Lancashire is the first authority to reach Financial Close for the second phase of its BSF programme.
  5. The Evaluation of BSF – 1st Annual Report can be downloaded at: www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/resourcesfinanceandbuilding/bsf/