Second independent BSF evaluation published

20 January 2009

Press Notice issued by the Department for Children, Schools and Families

- Second independent BSF evaluation shows ‘significant progress’ but more to do -
- Heads back BSF to transform education standards -
- New BSF schools raising pupil aspirations -
 
The 50th school built or refurbished under the flagship Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme was opened today by Schools Minister Jim Knight – the latest milestone passed in the unprecedented project to modernise the entire secondary school estate in England.

Sedgehill School, a newly built 1,750 pupil specialist performing arts college in Lewisham, was finished a year ahead of schedule – alongside seven other BSF schools opening this term in Bristol, Knowsley, Leicester, Manchester and three in Sheffield.

It means that BSF is now ahead of the latest local authority projections that 47 schools would be open by the end of March 2009. In all, nearly a third of all secondary schools are currently involved in BSF, across 80 local authorities – with £9.3billion being invested over 2008-11.

Today’s opening comes as the second annual report on the evaluation of BSF by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) published today concluded it has “gathered momentum” in the last year and there has been “significant progress” to improve the efficiency.

The report finds that the vast majority of heads involved think that BSF is the key to improving results and expect it to improve teaching; and as well as giving parents, students and local communities access to wider services.

It also shows positive feedback from teachers and pupils in four BSF schools up and running – finding that young people are prouder of their schools and the new buildings are raising their aspirations.

The report sets out a number of recommendations to further improve and strengthen the programme.

Schools Minister Jim Knight said: “BSF is building a new generation of secondary schools springing up around the country, with outstanding facilities right at the heart of their local communities – and our progress is backed by the PwC report published today.

 “It’s time the critics stopped living in the past and looked at what is happening on the ground. We are seeing a genuine revolution in schools in this country. The unprecedented increase in capital funding to over £8billion a year by 2011, is reaping dividends with more new schools opening this year than at any time in generations.

“The 50th BSF school is another significant milestone. Month-by-month, term-by-term BSF is building momentum – giving pupils, teachers and parents outstanding facilities and transforming the face of education.

“BSF is the key to raising aspirations and standards – and the centrepiece of our education reform programme. By 2011, at least 200 BSF schools will be opening every year. We are looking to bring the remaining local authorities into the programme as soon as is practicable and expecting the vast majority of local authorities to finish their projects by 2020”.

PwC – Evaluation of Building Schools for the Future

The key findings of the second annual evaluation are:

• BSF has “gathered momentum” over the last year with “significant progress” made to improve the overall efficiency – including cutting £250m of red tape and strengthening the design and procurement process.
• Nearly all stakeholders involved see it as the key to educational transformation and that satisfaction rises sharply the longer schools and local authorities have been in the programme.
• Heads overwhelmingly back BSF - 96% in the first three BSF waves and 88% in second three waves surveyed saying it will make schools better places for staff to work. Eight in ten overall say it will improve pupil attitudes, behaviour and attainment; improve teaching; and provide vital services for local communities.
• Positive feedback from pupils and teachers in four new BSF schools opened in the last year. Teachers said facilities more than met pupils’ needs; had vastly improved ICT provision; and improves teaching, learning and behaviour. Pupils feel prouder of new schools and say it has raised their aspirations.
• Big improvements in consultation with schools, with heads being far more deeply engaged as projects progress – but report says schools need more resources from local authorities to free up staff to focus on BSF; sharing lessons learnt from the early BSF projects to later ones; and senior staff need to involve other staff more.
• Heads confident that new buildings would transform standards but concerned that old facilities are deteriorating quickly or not maintained properly before BSF building begins in earnest.
   

 Mr Knight said: “Schools have huge expectations of BSF to sweep away the legacy of buildings now reaching the end of their design lives and transform education. It is early days but the emerging evidence is clear - BSF is delivering on the ground and is giving a massive boost to teachers, parents and pupils.

“We accept the vast majority of PwC’s recommendations and are already working to incorporate them into the programme. This is an unprecedented programme never attempted before by any Government in this country so it is vital that we continue to adjust and keep pace with the issues that emerge.

“These are big projects to manage – so it is absolute vital that schools get the support they need to take full advantage from local authorities, designers and contractors. Resources for each school vary according to the size of the project and other factors. We give all local authorities entering the programme £100,000 to support additional management costs, which can be shared with schools – and they must also support each head from the funding they are required to commit for each project. 

“I am concerned that some heads have said that schools awaiting BSF investment are deteriorating fast. Local authorities and schools need to make a sensible spending decisions and it is not a good use of taxpayers’ money to invest heavily in buildings with a short life expectancy. It is unacceptable for buildings to be allowed to deteriorate – that’s why throughout their BSF projects, each school continues to get revenue funding for routine repair and maintenance to keep their buildings looking smart, and capital funding to meet all health and safety needs.

“We have made massive strides in strengthening design quality even further – including involving experts like the Commission for Architecture and the Build Environment earlier. These schools are being built to last so we are reinforcing our work with a new Minimum Design Standard which we will be setting out in the spring.”

Partnerships for Schools Chief Executive Tim Byles said: "Building Schools for the Future is all about giving every young person a better and brighter future, no matter what their background. With 50 schools now open, BSF is transforming education up and down the country for tens of thousands of students and hundreds of teachers. Schools are once again sitting at the heart of the communities they serve and reaching out to local people.

“With schools now opening ahead of schedule, the sense of momentum is testament to the resolute focus and determination of all parties involved in the programme to deliver truly inspiring environments in which every young person is given the opportunity to achieve their best.
“However, we are not complacent and we continue to listen to, and learn from, students and teachers, as well as from the public and private sectors, about ways to ensure that BSF ultimately delivers the safe, inspiring and welcoming environments we are striving for.”

Notes to Editors

The PwC Report is published at: www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/resourcesfinanceandbuilding/bsf

In July, PwC was commissioned to conduct a three-year, independent longitudinal evaluation of the BSF programme. The overall aim is to measure the educational impact of BSF capital investment in secondary schools in England and identify best practice in delivery.

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 England’s state secondary schools estate during the lifetime of the programme. The Government is investing £9.3billion in BSF during the 2008-2011 spending period – part of the overall £21.9billion schools capital funding settlement. 

The latest local authority projections for new, rebuilt or refurbished schools to be opened under BSF are: 115 in 2009/10; 165 in 2010/11, rising to at least 200 new schools every year thereafter.

DCSF and PfS are currently working on the prioritisation of the revised expressions of interest from all authorities with projects in waves 7 to 15, which were received at the end of November 2008. We aim to announce the revised national programme based on these revised expressions of interest in the spring.

The eight BSF schools opening this term are:

1. Sedgehill, Lewisham is a specialist performing arts school for 1,750 students. The design of the new school includes an ‘agora-style’ open space which will be used by students and the local community for performances and social activities.
2. The Bridge Learning Campus, Bristol, is an all-through school which provides education and training for adults, children and young people from the age of three upwards. The campus brings together a 45-place nursery, Primary School, Secondary School, a Special School, a student support centre for 14-16 year-olds and a 200-place vocational Bridge Learning Centre for 14-19 year olds and adults to be run by City of Bristol College.
3. Fullhurst Community College, Leicester is part new build and part refurbishment. It preserves aspects of the original 1930s building, with the refurbished part of the school providing new facilities for music and dance. A new three-storey extension has been built around the hall creating an atrium space, more spacious corridors and flexible teaching spaces for individual and group work.  This extension will include the new entrance, new dining facilities, science laboratories, ICT rooms, library, community room and general classrooms.
4. Newfield Secondary is an 11-16 comprehensive school situated in the south-west of Sheffield for approximately 950 students. For many years Newfield School has consisted of two identical buildings: originally a separate girls' and a boys' school on the same site. These have been replaced with a 'state of the art' building offering performance spaces, music suites and interactive classrooms.
5. Talbot Special School is a school for very vulnerable young people with a range of complex learning needs. Talbot promotes its specialism by sharing good practice and supporting the work of other colleagues within mainstream schools in the city. The school plans to promote the 24h our curriculum, using technology to support learning at home for young people, their families and carers.
6. Silverdale Secondary, Sheffield is a comprehensive for around 1,250 students aged between 11 and 18 in the south west of Sheffield. It is a Specialist Language College. The school also works closely with employers and other schools and colleges to provide a wide range of opportunities for its students.
7. Christ the King, North Huyton, Knowsley is a  900-place learning centre which specialises in Engineering. The building provides a range of flexible spaces allowing one-to-one and small group teaching, lectures, practicals and even outdoor learning opportunities. It also includes large open spaces which can be used for performing arts, social activities and by community groups.
8. St Matthew’s RC High School, Manchester includes a three-storey glazed central atrium with a multi-use bleacher seating area and drama performance space. The design of the new building ensures there is a central ‘heart’ to the school which is made up of the main hall, dining and drama spaces with the teaching areas wrapping around these. The school also has an orchard and a sensory garden, with plans to develop a green area for use in teaching and to encourage wildlife. 

Partnerships for Schools (PfS) is the delivery organisation 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. PfS is a 100-strong organisation, with specialist expertise including educationalists, designers, ICT specialists, commercial managers and project management.