| Sandwell Building Schools for the Future (BSF) |
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| Client: | Interserve (Environments for Learning) |
| Project: | FSquared worked on the Sandwell BSF project as part of the team that has been appointed preferred bidder. We led the development of proposals to facilitate wider community benefit in response to the local authority’s social and economic priorities. |
| Location: | Sandwell, Birmingham |
| Value: | Not available |
| Status: | Completed |
Outcomes
The Need
The Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme represents the biggest investment in school buildings ever undertaken. The aim is to rebuild or renew nearly every secondary school in England. As part of all BSF procurements, local authorities require private sector partners to develop proposals explaining how investment in physical infrastructure and ICT will also facilitate wider community benefits. Interserve (Environments for Learning) commissioned FSquared to support them in the development of proposals to facilitate wider community benefit.
Our Response
FSquared developed proposals around the following themes:
All of the above were developed with reference to Sandwell MBC’s strategic drivers and targets and were thoroughly tested with the public sector client, the schools, local delivery agencies and wider stakeholders. FSquared developed a strong business case for each proposal by giving details of affordability and deliverability.
In March 2009, Interserve (Environments for Learning) was named as Preferred Bidder for the project and will soon form Sandwell Local Education Partnership (the LEP).
The Benefits
Our proposals will be implemented by the Local Education Partnership in Sandwell and we will support this where necessary. Once implemented, our proposals will have multiple benefits for the wider communities in Sandwell. In particular, we sought to build on the knowledge and enthusiasm of local stakeholders and communities meaning that our work has also built capacity in the area by linking wider stakeholders to the Local Education Partnership.
The Need
The Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme represents the biggest investment in school buildings ever undertaken. The aim is to rebuild or renew nearly every secondary school in England. As part of all BSF procurements, local authorities require private sector partners to develop proposals explaining how investment in physical infrastructure and ICT will also facilitate wider community benefits. Interserve (Environments for Learning) commissioned FSquared to support them in the development of proposals to facilitate wider community benefit.
Our Response
FSquared developed proposals around the following themes:
- Education, Employment and Training Plan: focusing on supporting work-based training, routes into employment, apprenticeships, support for local industry and employment and developing the construction programme as a learning tool
- Supply Chain Strategy: focusing on the establishment of a Supply Chain Sub Group, the development of supply chain management processes and the development of targeted support activities for the supply chain
- Vocational/Alternative Learning Approaches Action Plan: focused on the development of a range of curriculum linked learning projects for teachers, pupils and the wider school community so that they can participate directly in the BSF programme
- Arts Strategy and Action Plan: that together illustrated a recognition of the importance of integrating arts and artists into the regeneration and development processes
- Sports Strategy: focusing on the existing context, partnership working, design issues and support for community sports groups
All of the above were developed with reference to Sandwell MBC’s strategic drivers and targets and were thoroughly tested with the public sector client, the schools, local delivery agencies and wider stakeholders. FSquared developed a strong business case for each proposal by giving details of affordability and deliverability.
In March 2009, Interserve (Environments for Learning) was named as Preferred Bidder for the project and will soon form Sandwell Local Education Partnership (the LEP).
The Benefits
Our proposals will be implemented by the Local Education Partnership in Sandwell and we will support this where necessary. Once implemented, our proposals will have multiple benefits for the wider communities in Sandwell. In particular, we sought to build on the knowledge and enthusiasm of local stakeholders and communities meaning that our work has also built capacity in the area by linking wider stakeholders to the Local Education Partnership.