Southampton joins Building Schools for the Future programme ahead of schedule
23rd June 2008
The government has announced it will award Southampton Building Schools for the Future funding ahead of schedule.
Earlier this year the lobbying by Southampton’s two Labour MPs paid off when the government announced Southampton City Council would be given the opportunity to bid for BSF funding ahead of schedule. Southampton’s Building Schools for the Future Bid was put together during the short period of the Lib-Lab pact earlier this year. Southampton Labour Councillor Matt Stevens signed off the successful bid.
The announcement means that Southampton can now start developing projects to rebuild and refurbish the five secondary schools most in need of investment – with the remaining local secondaries being rebuilt or renewed later in the programme. The estimated value of the projects announced today by the DCSF is £625 million.
The funding may also be particularly good news for residents in Freemantle who have been calling for the former Civil Service Sports Ground to be bought back by the Council.
Dr Whitehead has been campaigning for the Council to buy back the sports ground for community use since it was originally sold in 2004. The latest proposal put forward by the Council was to buy the field back for use as school playing fields as part of a combined Regents Park – St Marks campus. However the purchase could only have gone ahead if the Council had access to BSF funding- which now they do.
Alan said:
“This is the start of the largest capital investment in our city’s schools for 50 years, and is in many ways a once in a generation opportunity. Both myself and John have been making the case that Southampton needs this funding now, and I am delighted that we have been listened to.
“The example of what this could mean for the former Civil Service Sports Ground shows that this funding is not just about school buildings, but about the wider positive impact schools can have in our community.”
Cllr Matt Stevens, Labour’s education chief at the time the successful bid was submitted, issued this statement:
"The news that the city will be receiving the funding from the government for renewal of the cities schools (BSF), is very welcome. This Labour governments pledge to renew all the schools in the country is now being delivered and this funding for Southampton is part of that policy. Thanks has to go to the city council's team of officers in Children Services who put together an excellent bid to be part of the national programme ealier than expected.
The success of the bid and new programme will be built around my and the previous administrations insistence that schools are at the heart of Southampton’s communities. That this funding should be spent not only on new buildings for the cities secondary schools but creating communities hubs that include community services and access to life long learning for all.
I am proud that both my signature and that of the previous leader of the council June Bridle are at the bottom of the bid document that went to government to secure this funding. The bids focus was on "Building Schools for Future Communities" and not just providing new accommodation for city school. Successful education is not just about desks and computers but organisations that respond to community needs. It is not just what goes on the class room that makes a pupil achieve but how parents, families and communities are supported.
The council now have to organise the priorities for this funding and a programme for delivery.
My only concern is that the local Conservative councillors now running the city have never really understood the word community or how important schools are in delivering healthy and sustainable communities."
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More information
- Hounslow, Southampton, Staffordshire and Worcestershire will start their BSF projects in the summer. Enfield, North Tyneside, Rotherham and Walsall will start in the autumn. Partnerships for Schools will work with each authority to agree the scope of their project, which will be based on the highest priority schools in the area. Allocations for each project will be determined fairly and in accordance with the standard BSF funding policy. Investment will be met from the budgets for BSF announced in October 2007 and from future public spending rounds.
- Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is the largest capital investment programme for 50 years that will provide world-class teaching and learning environments for all pupils, teachers and communities in England, subject to future public spending decisions.
- Building Schools for the Future’s (BSF) first six waves have been launched, and 90 projects in 72 authorities have now been started in the programme, prioritised on social and educational need. Additional “One School Pathfinder” funding has been allocated to a further 39 authorities which are later in the programme, to enable them to renew their neediest schools, and 81 authorities have academies open or in development. In all, around 1,000 schools are now engaged in the programme, including around 180 which are becoming Academies.
- To date, 13 schools with BSF funding have been completed, a further 35 are expected to open in 2008-09, and 20 schemes have reached financial close. There are also around 90 Academy projects currently being delivered via BSF or the National Framework.
- The £21.9billion funding settlement for 2008-09; 2009-10 and 2010-11 was announced last October. For more information visit: www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2007_0185