Partnerships for Schools



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Partnerships for Schools
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Press Releases

Press Releases

Bidder appointed for £300m schools plan in Tameside

25 March 2008

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council's press release:

Tameside is one step closer to transforming the borough’s secondary schools after appointing Inspiredspaces to deliver the £300m programme.

The council’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme is already progressing at a faster pace than many of the programmes in other authorities across the country.

The appointment of the Inspired Space Consortium by Executive Leader Cllr Roy Oldham in consultation with the council’s BSF Project Board, represents the launch of the new partnership between Tameside Council, Inspired Spaces Consortium and Partnerships for Schools (PfS) to rebuild or renew all the secondary schools in the borough.

Following the Key Decision, Cllr Oldham said:  “This project represents the best opportunity to invest in our schools in generations.  Not only will it transform buildings, it will also enable us to improve the educational attainment for young people, providing them with more opportunities to access education, training and employment.  When the programme is complete, Tameside’ secondary schools will be the envy of other cities and towns across the country."

He added: “The BSF Programme demonstrates a clear commitment on the part of the council that no child will ever be left behind, that every young person matters, and that every young person should be helped to reach their full potential. 

"The level of investment in the first wave - will be followed by every secondary school in Tameside being rebuilt or renewed and demonstrates our determination that we become world class in education: worldclass schools, world-class teachers and worldclass learning facilities.  Building Schools for the Future will help deliver just that.  It will help us build better and brighter futures for all our young people, and our communities."

Cllr Ged Cooney, executive member for lifelong learning, said: "I am delighted that we have been able to make this announcement.  We are entering into a partnership committed to improving the way secondary education is delivered in Tameside.  We have chosen our preferred bidder through a very stringent selection and scoring process, and I am confident that we are on to a winner."

The Inspiredspaces consortium will build and provide building facilities and crucial ICT services.  The companies forming the consortium are Carillion, Barclays and Ramesys - who as the ICT provider will deliver nearly £25 million of ICT infrastructure.

Carillion chief executive, John McDonough, said: "We are delighted to have been selected as preferred bidder on our third major project under the BSF programme, which is a strong growth area for Carillion.  I am particularly pleased that our proposals for this programme align closely with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council’s 'rainforest' vision to provide transformational learning that raises the aspirations and expectations of the people of Tameside.

"Our entire team is looking forward to working closely with the Council, schools, the people of Tameside and PfS over the coming months and years.  Our goal is to establish an educational environment that is second to none, to inspire learners and teachers alike and enhance the educational opportunities for the people of Tameside.  We can't wait to get started."

The council will now form a Local Education Partnership (LEP) with the Inspired Spaces Consortium and Partnership for Schools; this is the body responsible for the delivery of the BSF programme.  The LEP will be a long-term partnership that undertakes to build or renew schools and maintain them properly over their lifetime.

BSF will transform the borough’s secondary schools and create better educational facilities by the end 2011. It represents the biggest investment in the borough’s schools since Victorian times. Work is due to start in July 2008 at the four schools in phase one of the BSF programme. The sample schools are the new Ashton Academy, Samuel Laycock, Mossley Hollins, and St Damiens. The remaining wave of schools will be delivered in a further phases over the next 3 years.

[ends]

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 15-year lifetime of the £45 billion programme.
  2. Partnerships for Schools (PfS) is the delivery agency for BSF. It was established in April 2004 as a non-departmental public body, and is operated and funded under a joint venture between DfES and Partnerships UK.
  3. The Local Education Partnership comprises Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council, Partnerships for Schools and Carillion. Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council and Partnerships for Schools will each provide 10% of the equity, with the remainder being provided by Carillion.
  4. The Tameside Building Schools for the Future programme forms part of the Government’s £5bn spend per annum on the refurbishment / renewal of schools. 
    Tameside is located to the East of Manchester with its administrative centre in Ashton under Lyne.  Tameside has been recognised by the Audit Commission as having the top Corporate Assessment rating of 4 Stars and Improving Strongly for the second year running, placing it amongst the eight best councils in the country (top 5%). Also achieving a 4 for Use of Resources in 2007, including a 4 for Value for money.  In addition being awarded the prestigious Municipal Journal Award of ‘best achieving council of the year’ in recent awards.
  5. Carillion plc is one of the UK’s leading support services, Public Private Partnership project and construction companies. The Group has annual revenue of over £5bn, employs around 50,000 people and operates across the UK, in the Middle East, Canada and the Caribbean.  In the UK, Carillion’s principal market sectors are Defence, Education, Health, Building, Facilities Management and Services, Roads, Utilities Services, Rail and Civil Engineering. The Group is a leader in Public Private Partnership projects, particularly in the Defence, Education and Health sectors in the UK and in the Health sector in Canada.
  6. In the Middle East, the Group’s principal market sectors are Construction and Facilities Management.  In Canada and the Caribbean, the Group’s main sectors are Health, Roads Maintenance and Construction.
    Carillion’s education portfolio includes Leeds, Renfrewshire and South Ayrshire schools and BSF projects for Nottingham City Council and South Tyneside and Gateshead Councils.