Westminster City Council has signed contracts for its 152 million Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme which is set to transform education provision in the heart of the capital.

Bouygues Partnership for Education and Community, is leading the building programme across all nine secondary schools in Westminster.

Construction work worth 66 million is underway in three schools: St Marylebone CE School, Pimlico School and Westminster City School.

From the summer term, the programme, a government funded scheme, will move forward with the development of the remaining six schools at an investment cost of approximately 80 million.

In addition, an all new 24 place Pupil Referral Unit will be built on the Quintin Kynaston school site, and a new unit for nursery and reception aged children will be provided for St Vincent's RC Primary School.

As well as the building works, 11 million will be invested in information and communication technology across all nine schools.

Westminster is the first of 10 wave 3 BSF projects nationally to complete a business case and sign contracts.

Head of Westminster Building Schools for the Future project, Simon Neale, said:

'We want to give young people in Westminster the very best start in life and this is fantastic news for pupils, parents and staff.

'This investment will give every secondary pupil in the city a chance to learn in 21st century classrooms with an expanded and improved curriculum.

'Westminster's success in being the first wave 3 authority to sign contracts is due to all schools working together, with a shared commitment to educational improvement.

'The Council's main priority next term is to develop the proposals for the remaining six schools."

Lionel Christolomme, Managing Director of Bouygues UK, added:

"This project reinforces our commitment to the Government's Building Schools for the Future initiative, this being our second scheme on the programme.

"It is a pleasure to be selected by Westminster for its BSF programme, and this continues the excellent relationship already developed with the Council over the past year."

Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnership for Schools, the government agency responsible for delivering the BSF programme nationwide, said:

"This is excellent news for young people, teachers and the wider local communities in Westminster and we congratulate the Local Education Partnership on reaching this milestone.

"At its heart, BSF is about transforming education and improving the life chances for all young people and I look forward to seeing the difference that it makes in Westminster."

 

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The project is managed by a Local Education Partnership made of the Council, Bouygues Partnership for Education and Community and Building Schools for the Future Investments.

Building Schools for the Future is the largest Government capital investment programme in 50 years, which will provide world-class teaching and learning environment for all pupils, teachers and communities in England. Over the next 15 to 20 years, BSF will help improve the life chances of 3.3 million young people.

Bouygues Partnership for Education and Community was appointed 'preferred tenderer' at the end of summer in 2007.

In order to protect the programme deadlines, in December 2007, the council agreed to underwrite an Early Works contract with Bouygues to allow enabling works at the first three schools during the spring term.

The six schools in the second phase of the project are: St Augustine's CE, St George's RC, The Grey Coat Hospital, Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee, College Park, and Quintin Kynaston School.

Each school has confirmed individual improvement targets and milestones as part of the projects 'Six Ambitions' for improvement. The top improvement target in the BSF 'Six Ambitions' is for Westminster's value added at KS2-KS4 to be in the top quartile nationally by 2012.

Figures:

* 141 million will be spent design and build.

* No Private Finance Initiative in the Westminster BSF scheme

* 11 million investment in information and communication technology (ICT) across the nine schools

* 4 million capital from Westminster City Council for a community Library and Adult Education Centre at Pimlico School

Building Summary:

One all new secondary school (Pimlico)

Eight remodelled schools with new build facilities

New expanded 24 place Pupil Referral Unit

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