Partnerships for Schools launches ‘one conversation’ with local authorities
10 September 2009
Partnerships for Schools will today take the first step towards a new way of working with local authorities, the private sector and schools in advance of the organisation taking responsibility for the delivery of all schools capital investment programmes from 1 October.
Speaking at the PfS Annual Conference at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, PfS Chief Executive, Tim Byles, will lay out plans for how local authorities will be able to have ‘one conversation’ about all schools capital matters in the future.
“From October, the delivery of all schools capital investment will be brought under one roof, with Partnerships for Schools’ remit extending beyond the current portfolio of Building Schools for the Future and the Academies programme,” said Tim Byles.
“For local government having ‘one conversation’ will mean a more strategic discussion about the particular challenges that they are dealing with, and how investment can be used to tackle those challenges. This is about balancing local needs and priorities with national ones.
“And for the private sector too, bringing the delivery of these programmes together will mean that they have a single conversation with one organisation about what they can bring to the table. It also means that we will be able to take a look at how we can standardise our process and protocols across the whole investment landscape to ensure we get the best value from every single education pound.”
Plans for a review of the existing procurement process, starting later in the year, were also announced at the conference. This follows on from the 2008 Procurement Review which highlighted savings of around £250 million across the national programme and decreased the procurement time by up to two months.
Tim Byles added: “We have already made significant inroads into streamlining what is a complex process. But I want to go further, and working with both the private sector and local government, I hope that we will be able to reduce the procurement time even more so that schools and communities can benefit from this investment as soon as possible.”
The PfS Annual Conference also features sessions on how BSF can weather the economic storm, the importance of design, Academies, Trusts and the Swedish Model, a live Outside Broadcast from a recently-opened Leicester BSF school, and an address by Sir Steve Redgrave on BSF’s role in helping produce the Olympians of tomorrow.
Notes to Editors:
- Thirty-four more schools which have benefitted from BSF investment will open their doors this month. This brings the number of schools to be rebuilt, refurbished or receive funding for improved ICT to 121 across England in 33 different local authorities.
- Almost 110,000 pupils are now benefitting from the difference that BSF investment is making to their education and to their futures.
- 85 local authorities are now engaged in the BSF programme, with 26 Local Education Partnerships formed to deliver school building projects in these areas.
- 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.
- 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). PfS is a 120-strong organisation, with specialist expertise including educationalists, designers, ICT specialists, commercial managers and project management.
- The National Audit Office report into BSF, published in February 2009, stated that the programme is now being well managed and that PfS is keeping costs under control. It added: “BSF schools have been built to a higher specification and space standards than previous schools”.
- The Minister for Schools announced in June that PfS is to assume responsibility for the management and delivery of all school building and refurbishment programmes from 1 October 2009. Day-to-day responsibility of schools capital programmes, including the Primary Capital Programme, will transfer from the DSCF to PfS.
For more information contact Amy Leonard on 07960 116966 or Nicky Old 07825 796664
