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Sunderland BSF Bulletin - Issue 3Sunderland's Building Schools for the Future programme including Academie Sunderland's first BSF school nears completion Oxclose Community School, in Washington, will be Sunderland's first completed BSF school - and one of the first in the country. An eighteen month programme of major remodelling work at the school will conclude in the spring, marking the completion of a transformation worth almost £12 million.
Meanwhile, staff and pupils at the specialist performing and visual arts college are already making good use of their new learning environments. A multi-media resource centre, performing arts suite and state of the art ICT equipment are all in use - helping everyone to benefit from genuine opportunities for personalised learning. After successfully juggling the twin tasks of leading a busy school and a major building programme, Headteacher Mike Foster is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel :
"It has been a real challenge, but now staff, students and parents can really see the difference. Most of our classrooms and learning spaces are now functional and the planning for transformation is becoming a reality. Flexible learning spaces, social spaces, independent learning areas and vocational areas are all up and running. The new build Performing Arts centre is outstanding and has been admired by many visitors and community users. Our ICT set up is state of the art where students use high specification, industry standard hardware and software. We have 900 students and 800 workstations. The transformation will continue over the next three to five years as we create a virtual learning environment available to students, staff and parents - all day, every day. We have transformed the premises and its functionality. We now have the exciting job of transforming the concepts of teaching and learning for the future of our students and the city." More details on BSF / Academies funding plans are announced Sunderland City Council's Cabinet has approved the final piece in the jigsaw in funding for the first phase of our BSF / Academies programme, which aims to transform teaching and learning throughout the city. At its 14 February Cabinet meeting, Council leaders agreed to commit up to £3.9 million to complete the funding pot, with the remaining £110 million coming from national resources. The Cabinet also approved the Outline Business Case for BSF which was endorsed by the lead sponsors of the three proposed academies and has been submitted for government approval. The OBC has now been approved, subject to minor additional work on development of the school visions, which will be addressed over the next few weeks. More detail will follow in Issue 4 of this e-Bulletin. Once given final approval, the OBC will enable the Council to finalise project funding, and move on to the procurement stage. The detailed plan sets out exactly how the BSF process will be managed, and how national funds will be invested. It also outlines the specific intentions for our school estate. With a site-by-site analysis, it provides technical specifications, financial information and other data, to determine the viability of the proposals. It also contains individual school visions, outline plans and initial designs. Council Leader, Councillor Bob Symonds, explained : "We're delighted to have reached this important milestone in the Building Schools for the Future programme. This is a really fantastic programme and Sunderland is one of the first local authorities to benefit from it. This is a valuable investment in ensuring that young people in this city get the best possible future." Almost £12 million of funding has been earmarked for the redevelopment of Oxclose Community School (see above feature). This will be followed by around £110 million of investment for the schools now being planned to complete our BSF first phase :
Unveiled : A guide to BSF, "Sunderland Model" Academies and our education vision Sunderland City Council has unveiled more details about proposals for its children and young people. These include a new guide to its BSF programme, including "Sunderland Model" academies, and a new leaflet summarising its education vision for the city. Focusing on the transformational opportunities presented by BSF, including three new "Sunderland Model" academies, these new publications outline the future for teaching and learning in Sunderland, and how they will be delivered. They also explain how - through BSF and links to parallel initiatives - we aim to work in partnership with key stakeholders to achieve our objectives. Building Schools for the Future presents Sunderland with a tremendous opportunity to transform teaching and learning in a way which will help to improve the life chances of all young learners in communities across Sunderland. Our ambition is to ensure that these exciting plans result in the best possible educational opportunities for our children and young people. A summary of the Sunderland Education Vision is widely available in leaflet form. Stakeholders who require copies of the leaflet are welcome to contact the BSF / Academies team - for details, please see the foot of the bulletin. The leaflet is also available by clicking onto the link Sunderland Education Vision Summary - Leaflet (
News from Sunderland's Education Leadership Board
Sunderland's new Education Leadership Board represents a partnership which aims to secure excellence through collaboration for the City’s secondary schools and future academies. Chaired by Baroness Estelle Morris, the Board's membership comprises the City Council, Academy Lead Sponsors and private sector representatives, Learning and Skills Council, City of Sunderland College, Sunderland University, Chamber of Commerce and Local Strategic Partnership. The Board will also benefit from Headteacher and Governor representation. The ELB aims :
- Academy specialisms and Lead Sponsor focus - BSF transformation - 14-19 vocational diplomas - Key skills and ‘employability’
Whilst the ELB has no direct role in the formal BSF/Academies project governance, it takes a keen interest in the progress of the programme, consistent with its overview of the standards and effectiveness of education throughout the city. Supporting local arrangements to deliver for 14 to 19 year olds The ELB has agreed to focus upon 14-19 developments in Sunderland, and to identify areas where it may be able to add value to the existing collaborative arrangements. Following its second meeting on 24 January 2007, the ELB agreed that the areas upon which it could focus initially included :
Young people in Sunderland have access to a range of vocational courses at two new skills centres. The centres will play a key role in the delivery of a range of specialised diplomas in a rolling programme by 2013. Partnership schools have agreed to take a specific lead role on one of the thirteen specialisms or complimentary literacy / numeracy skills. The Education Leadership Board is keen to support the partnership in the delivery of the new specialised diplomas. Very strong partnership mechanisms are in place and the BSF and Academies programme can play an important part in this. Post 16 learning is delivered through three Roman Catholic Aided school sixth forms and three new joint sixth forms at Usworth, Bede and St Peters (currently located at Bede Centre) and a range of work based learning providers. The three proposed "Sunderland Model" academies will be integral to these arrangements, an approach fully supported by lead sponsors and by other partners. More details on the third meeting of the Education Leadership Board (15 March) will be provided in Issue 4.
Focus on .... Sunderland Housing Group - and the Academy to replace Pennywell and Quarry View Schools
The Group's decision to invest £1 million to support a new academy for 4 –16 year olds is a natural extension of its policy to invest in local communities. Since its formation in 2001, it has implemented a massive regeneration programme to transform communities throughout the city. Over £280 million has been used to fully modernise over 20,000 homes to a standard unsurpassed in the country. The Group has, through its partnership with English Partners and the Council, significantly regenerated Sunderland’s city centre bringing historic buildings, like the former post office in Sunniside, back into use. The Group has now begun building its top quality Pathway Homes development in the Pennywell area. Over the next few years 691 new homes will be built for affordable rent and sale. This will completely transform the area into a vibrant, sustainable community and the Group sees the Academy as a vital component in the area’s regeneration. The Group’s Central Sunderland Housing Company and its Social Investment team are already working closely with local schools on projects to involve local young people in enterprise, construction and citizenship. As a major local employer, the Group already invests in apprenticeships, training and development. It will help the Academy to equip its students with the knowledge, skills and abilities to enable them to benefit from a rapidly changing world economy and bring enterprise and prosperity to the area. Together with the Council’s co-sponsorship, lead sponsor investment will generate funds to combat educational disadvantage and promote community learning. It is envisaged that families and the wider community will benefit from the fantastic new school and its state of the art resources. Sunderland Housing Group is now actively working to support staff in the existing schools to begin this transformation and build a sustainable future for people in the local area. With the development of the young people vital to the success of the area, the new Academy for Pennywell and Quarry View is a vital piece of the jigsaw required to achieve this. Current progress and next steps
Key milestones to spring 2007 include :
To find out more ...
Please contact John Wiseman (BSF Communications Manager) or any member of our project team. Alternatively, visit our website page . Thank you for your interest in the BSF and Academies programme in Sunderland.
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