Decision details

This report will present the Council’s 10-year strategic investment aims and outcomes for its secondary schools in the document “Building Schools for the Future: Strategy for Change (Part 2)”.  The aim is to raise educational standards by supporting teaching and learning through the investment process which covers both physical facilities and information and communications technology (ICT).  The document will form part of the Council’s submission to Partnerships for Schools to secure approximately £200m of investment in facilities and £14m of ICT equipment

The Executive will be asked to approve the “Building Schools for the Future: Strategy for Change (Part 2)” document for submission to Partnerships for Schools

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Children’s Services on the draft Strategy for Change (Part 2) which will form part of the Council’s submission for funding via the Government’s national Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council in achieve its Community Priorities of “Better Education and Learning For All” and “Regenerating the Local Economy”, to:

(i)  Support, in principle, the Council proceeding with the BSF project and note that this is currently intended to be in Wave 4 of the Government’s programme;

(ii)  Adopt the BSF Strategy for Change (Part 2) document as appended to the report, the implementation of which will contribute significantly to raising educational standards and meeting the current and future needs in terms of buildings, information and communication technology (ICT) provision and services;

(iii)  The entering into of contractual arrangements with a Local Education Partnership (LEP), which will include a private sector partner, to deliver the BSF investment in Schools on the terms set out in the report; and

(iv)  Participation in the national BSF programme being conditional upon the provision by the LEP of a fully managed service for ICT.