Celebrating best practice: PfS announces inaugural Excellence in BSF Awards
01 July 2008
The first awards to celebrate achievement across all areas of the national Building Schools for the Future programme have been announced today by Partnerships for Schools.
Nominations are now being sought for 10 categories in the inaugural Excellence in BSF Awards – from the most transformational school design and the most innovative ICT solution, to the best example of pupil engagement and the most sustainable design.
Tim Byles, Chief Executive of PfS, said: ‘This is a great time to be involved in Building Schools for the Future with more schools and Academies opening, exciting and transformational designs coming off the drawing board, and inspiring examples of how the public and private sectors can work together. That is why we are launching the first-ever BSF Awards to celebrate achievements across all aspects of the programme.
‘With 80 local authorities now engaged in BSF, I have had many opportunities to visit projects across the country and see the delivery of BSF in action. These new awards offer an excellent opportunity to recognise and showcase best practice in the BSF community and highlight beacons of success in a range of fields, and we are encouraging school professionals, local authorities, design and construction experts to put forward nominations for consideration.’
The categories in the Excellence in BSF Awards 2008 are:
- Best Design for a New School
- Best Design for a Remodelled School
- Most Promising Learning Strategy
- Innovation in Student Engagement
- Innovation in ICT
- Most Sustainable School Design
- Best Community Integration
- Best Operational LEP
- Best BSF Academy
- Best School Team
In addition, there will be a Grand Prix prize for the Most Transformational Team. This award will be determined by the independent panel of judges. The judging panels include experts with a variety of interests in BSF and education issues, including Sir John Sorrell, Professor Stephen Heppell, Professor Tim Brighouse, Stephen Crowne (CEO of Becta), Chris Whitehead (Chair of the PPP Education Forum), Sue Campbell CBE (Chair of the Youth Sports Trust), and Robin Nicholson CBE (Chair of the Zero Carbon Task Force).
The awards ceremony will be hosted by actor and comedian Rob Brydon in London on 26 November. More information about the awards and how to make a nomination can be found at: www.p4sawards.org.uk
Notes to Editors
- 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.
- There are now 13 BSF schools, including "Quick Win" schools, open nationwide: Bristol Metropolitan College, Bristol (April 08); 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).
- 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.
- The new PfS website (www.partnershipsforschools.org.uk) includes progress reports on every BSF scheme, and a new online collaboration tool will be launched shortly to give stakeholders the chance to form online networking groups to discuss BSF issues and challenges.
Media enquiries
For more information contact Amy Leonard (PfS Communications Director) on 07960 116966.
