Sunderland BSF Bulletin - Issue 5

Balfour Beatty named preferred bidder

SUNDERLAND City Council has named Balfour Beatty Construction the preferred bidder to rebuild and refurbish six schools as part of the city’s flagship BSF programme.

The £120 million initiative, which will transform the face of education in Sunderland by creating 21st century learning environments, will see the launch of a new partnership between the council, key stakeholders and Balfour Beatty Construction.

Following months of detailed financial and technical scrutiny, Balfour Beatty Construction has been selected to undertake the £100 million design and build of the first phase of the BSF project; the largest single capital investment Sunderland’s education system has seen.

Sunderland’s BSF stakeholders, including academy lead sponsors and school governors, teachers and pupils, played an important role in the selection process and will continue to be involved as the designs are finalised over the coming weeks.

Leader of Sunderland City Council, Councillor Bob Symonds (pictured), said: “We are thrilled to have reached this crucial landmark and cannot wait to see the final designs of these pioneering schools and academies. The bids received were of very high quality but Balfour Beatty Construction really stood out from the crowd. From here, there will be a big emphasis on getting parents and pupils involved in developing the plans for the new facilities.”

Balfour Beatty Construction Framework Director for BSF, Barry Eaton, said: "We are very happy to be working with Sunderland City Council and its academy sponsors to deliver their combined vision to create a first-class learning environment."

Washington Secondary School will be completely rebuilt by September 2009 (see the article below). Biddick School Sports College and St Robert of Newminster RC Secondary School are both set to be refurbished by January 2010, while Sandhill View Secondary School will receive an ICT overhaul.

Closing in August 2008, Pennywell Secondary School and Quarry View Primary School will operate as one all-age academy from existing buildings for 12 months. During this time, the new Gentoo Group-sponsored academy will be built on the Pennywell site and will open its doors in September 2009. Castle View School and Hylton Red House School will close in August 2009, to re-open as two new academies in September 2009, sponsored by Northumbrian Water and Leighton Group respectively.

Gentoo Group Chief Executive, Peter Walls, said: "This is a tremendous opportunity for the local community in and around Pennywell particularly for its future generations. It is now full steam ahead to open the academy in September 2008 and the new building in 2009."

John Cuthbert, Managing Director of Northumbrian Water, commented: “Northumbrian Water is delighted to reach this milestone in the progress to build the new academy at Castle View. We can now move on to build an exciting academy for current and future students in Sunderland.”

Paul Callaghan, Chairman of the Leighton Group, added: “We are very pleased to have reached this stage in the process and it has been the result of a real partnership effort with ourselves and the other sponsors working closely with Sunderland City Council. I am looking forward to agreeing the final details of the construction of the new academy and seeing the final designs.”

Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Schools (PfS), congratulated Sunderland and said: “I look forward to seeing the new school buildings and innovative facilities that will arise from this partnership. They will bring huge benefits for the school children of Sunderland, both now and for years to come, and will make a great contribution to the overall success of the national BSF programme."

Once the contracts are finalised in March 2008, building work will begin. The first new buildings will welcome pupils and staff in September 2009 and the last schools of the first phase of the project will be completed in December 2009.

Focus on ....

Leighton Group - and the Academy to replace Hylton Red House School

In the last of our features on the three 'Sunderland Model' academies, we focus on Leighton Group, lead sponsor of the academy that will replace Hylton Red House School in the north of the city.

The vision for the academy to replace Hylton Red House School is exciting. It will lead to an environment in which students find their learning challenging, engaging and motivating. The curriculum will encourage high aspirations and ambitions for all, where learners of all aptitudes and abilities will be challenged to achieve their full potential. Active in their learning, they will have opportunities to develop and demonstrate their creativity.

The academy will specialise in engineering, complementing the neighbourhood’s potential in terms of workforce, sites, transport links and training. Engineering will be developed in its broadest possible sense, with subjects at its core including mathematics, science, design and technology and ICT.

Together, lead sponsors Leighton Group and co-sponsors Sunderland City Council will develop an academy that brings together best practice in business with existing good practice in education. They intend to provide an environment in which students may develop their own personalised learning programmes and achieve educational success.

Leighton Group Chairman Paul Callaghan said: "Working in partnership with Sunderland City Council, we look forward to transforming the life chances of learners by raising aspirations, creating appropriate vocational pathways and offering models of regeneration and achievement for the local community."

Leighton is a group of technology and communications companies that boasts both an impressive history and enviable client list. Operating at the cutting edge of new technology, Leighton has established itself over the last 20 years as a leader in international technology and communications. The group of five companies has been structured in a way that allows exceptional innovative solutions to be developed, adapted and operated as independent companies.

Leighton will bring their management, technological skills and business ethos to enrich the academy and develop new ways to deliver learning. As a local company, they understand the local economy and what is required to succeed in an ever competitive global economy.

In the same way that they generate tailor-made solutions for their own business clients, Leighton will ensure that the leadership and operation of the academy will achieve the best for its learners.

Leighton’s vision for the academy has been developed in partnership with Sunderland City Council. It seeks to strengthen the ability to deliver positive outcomes for all young people. This collaboration extends further to include working with other schools and the wider community. Leighton will be a key partner in the broader challenge and leadership that is required to ensure that the city continues to achieve higher standards and performance.

As co-sponsor, Sunderland City Council has a fundamental commitment to ensuring that all schools and colleges in the city provide equal access to high quality education for all students of all abilities. This new academy will become a partner within this collaborative network and will adhere to the key principles of the 'Sunderland Model'.

Exciting times in Washington

The town of Washington is already benefiting from BSF, with the completion of Oxclose Community School's £10.6 million refurbishment in the summer. Washington's three remaining secondary schools will also benefit from the first phase of the BSF programme. With a complete new build to look forward to, the community of Washington School is at the forefront of the city's plans.

The BSF programme at Washington School will have a transformational impact on the educational experience, achievements and life chances of young people in Washington. BSF clearly underpins this vision through the delivery of high quality education facilities that support high quality teaching and learning. The delivery of modern, state-of-the-art facilities through BSF is central to Washington's vision, which will ultimately lead to better learning environments and better outcomes for all learners. This transformation will secure the required outcomes of Every Child Matters through the provision of the highest quality design and build.

Headteacher Michael O'Brien said:

"After working so hard with both bidders in ensuring that the building designs represented the school vision, I am pleased that our joint efforts have paid off. The staff, students and governors are confident that the design and the work already being planned within the organisation of the school will make the new school truly transformational for our learners. This new school for Washington will become a focus for community learning and will be a celebration of sustainability in terms of both building materials and energy sources."

Key elements of this vision will be:

• Transforming learning in a dynamic and exciting environment
• Development of the whole child, with a range of experiences and opportunities
• Social, emotional and spiritual learning
• Informal learning – anytime, anywhere inside and outside
• Improved ‘real’ vocational learning
• Community and stakeholder engagement
• Provision of the highest quality flexible learning environments, with innovative ICT and other support, leading to improvements in attainment
• High quality design and excellent build quality to significantly enhance pupils’ sense of safety and impact on pupil attendance and punctuality
• Excellent facilities management, promoting all aspects of health and minimising young people's health risks
• The contribution of children, young people, parents and carers to decision making processes to secure their engagement with the transformation agenda
• Support for the transition of young people from school to employment and further learning - enhancing their life chances and economic well being

Developments in ICT

Another key milestone has been reached in the ICT procurement process. With the Invitation to Continue Dialogue (ITCD) stage completed, the three competing bidders have now been sent an invitation to submit their final bids. The successful bidder will be announced very early in the new year.

Discussions with the companies bidding for the ICT contract have been wide-ranging. The bidders have been invited to work with Sunderland City Council, academy lead sponsors and key stakeholders to transform learning opportunities for the city's children and young people. Central to this challenge is the use of new technology to make personalised learning a reality.

Arrangements are in place for consultation with employees who may be involved in TUPE arrangements resulting from the selected managed service. The appropriate consultation mechanisms, for example with trade unions, will be put in place as soon as the successful bidder is known.

14 to 19 learning update

Sunderland's vision for BSF embraces new opportunities for 14 to 19 learners, with close links between the city's BSF and vocational strategies.

Since September, the new vocational centres, on the former Harraton and Pallion primary school sites, have been offering a range of BTEC courses including engineering, construction, logistics, hair and beauty, catering and motor vehicle.

Through the council's renowned collaborative arrangements, including close links with the City of Sunderland College, these courses are available to students from all secondary schools in Sunderland.

Following on from last year's successful £1.4 million 'Gateway' application - enabling students to access new Construction, Engineering and Creative and Media Diplomas from September 2008 - bids are now being prepared for a second 'Gateway' submission in December. If successful, this application will unlock funding to develop further Diplomas from September 2009.

Find out more!

To find out more about the city's BSF programme and 'Sunderland Model' academies please contact BSF Communications Manager, John Wiseman, on 0191 553 2469 or john.wiseman@sunderland.gov.uk

Alternatively, visit our website page.

Thank you for your interest in the BSF and Academies programme in Sunderland.