PfS announces review of operational Local Education Partnerships

21 May 2008

A review of how the bespoke public private partnership model – the Local Education Partnership - established to deliver the Building Schools for the Future programme is working has been announced by Partnerships for Schools.

PfS has appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) to undertake a review of operational Local Education Partnerships (LEPs) – the third independent review commissioned by PfS to maximise efficiencies in the BSF process in just under 18 months.

Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Schools, said: "Having reviewed both the pre-procurement and procurement phases of BSF, resulting in time and cost savings across these parts of the process, it is right that we should now turn our attention to the operational phase itself.

"Now that 19 deals have been signed – 11 of which are LEPs, with a further nine anticipated within the financial year – the time is right to take close look at the DNA of these partnerships and to identify best practice which can be shared with new projects coming on stream now.

"We are already hearing how the long-term partnership between the public and private sectors created through the LEP has the capacity to procure wider local services beyond secondary schools, such as primary schools, healthcare, housing and leisure facilities. This review will help us to understand more about what makes a successful LEP – and how we can ensure strong and healthy partnerships in the future."

The review will consider the effectiveness of these partnerships in operation, focusing on the extent to which they offer a fully integrated solution; how they add value over the longer term and deliver continuous improvement; and will identify any learning points that need to be shared with the wider BSF community.

Specifically, the review will cover:

• Experiences to date from the existing operational LEPs;
• Consideration of best practice in embedding partnership behaviours;
• Ways in which to demonstrate value for money and the deliverables from continuous improvement;
• Recommendations on how to further align objectives within LEPs;
• A specific focus on the effectiveness of ICT integration and FF&E integration.

PwC will commence fieldwork with operational LEPs over the summer, with the review expected to conclude later this year.

Notes to Editors:

1. Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is the largest single schools capital investment programme for over 50 years. BSF will provide world-class teaching and learning environments for all pupils, teachers and communities in England.
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 LEP is a bespoke delivery vehicle for a local BSF programme within a defined geographical area, whereby a private sector consortium (including all the skills and services required to deliver the local authority's BSF vision) comes together in a formal partnership with the local authority and Building Schools for the Future Investments (BSFI – a sister company to PfS) after Financial Close. Through the LEP, the local authority is able to procure wider local services beyond secondary schools, for example, primary schools, healthcare, housing and leisure facilities.
4. A total of 19 BSF deals have now been signed in local authorities with the private sector, worth over £2.5 billion. Westminster became the most recent scheme to reach financial close in April 2008. The 19 BSF projects to have  signed contracts with their private sector partners are: Bradford; Bristol; Greenwich; Knowsley; Lambeth; Lancashire; Lancashire (repeat);  Leeds; Leeds  (repeat);  Leicester; Lewisham; Manchester; Newcastle; Sheffield; South Tyneside and Gateshead; Solihull;  Sunderland; Westminster; and Waltham Forest.
5. 11 of these local authorities have established LEPs: Bristol, Bradford, Lancashire, Leeds, Lewisham, Leicester, Newcastle, Sheffield, South Tyneside and Gateshead, Westminster and Waltham Forest. A further nine LEPs will be established by April 2009.
6. A total of 13 BSF schools are now open nationwide from Newcastle in the north to Bristol in the south: Bristol Metropolitan College (April 09); Ifield  School, Kent (March 08); Michael Tippett SEN School, Lambeth (Feb 08); Sandon High School, Stoke (Feb 08); Birches Head, Stoke (Oct 07); Elm Green, Lambeth (Sept 07); Bristol Brunel Academy (Sept 07); Sixth Form, Haringey (Sept 07); Oxclose, Sunderland (June 07); Chaucer, Sheffield (Oct 06); Bamburgh, STaG (Oct 06); All Saints, Newcastle (Sept 06); and Solihull Centre for Inclusive Learning (May 06).
7. Recent developments include a comprehensive review of the pre-procurement and procurement processes for BSF and proposals to accelerate and streamline activity.  Key outcomes from these initiatives include:
    - Six-month reduction in pre-procurement timescales coupled with more robust preparation in advance of joining the programme;
    - Proposed two-month reduction in procurement phase timescales, delivering up to £250m savings;
    - Acceleration of a number of local authorities originally due to join BSF in 2008 – 2009 with a fast-track start date this summer; and
    - Launch of a public consultation looking at the order in which those authorities not yet in the programme will start their BSF projects.

Media Enquiries:

Amy Leonard, Communications Director, Partnerships for Schools: 07960 116966 or Nicky Old, Senior Communications Manager: 020 7273 0031.