Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Building Schools for the Future (BSF)?
2. What is Partnerships for Schools?
3. Which schools in Westminster are part of the BSF programme?
4. How much investment is available for Westminster Schools?
5. When will Westminster Schools be redeveloped?
6. Which company will be providing the building work and ICT for the BSF schools?
7. Will the schools be disrupted during the building phase? How will the school protect the education of my child from building disruption?
8. How do Westminster Schools plan to raise standards?
9. What are the plans for ICT investment in Westminster schools?
10. How can parents and students become involved in BSF proposals?
11. When will the plans for BSF schools be considered by the Planning Committee? Can I comment on the proposed plans?
12. Will the BSF scheme allow extra facilities to be used by the wider community?
13. Will the BSF school buildings and grounds be to an appropriate quality standard, provide sufficient space and protect green areas?

1. What is Building Schools for the Future (BSF)?

Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is the government's national programme to transform education standards for secondary aged students. All secondary schools and special schools with secondary provision are expected to review their curriculum and organisation to help drive up standards. A key strand of the BSF programme is government funding to support capital investment in the rebuilding or refurbishment of all secondary schools and provision of new Information and Communications Technology systems in all schools over a 15-year period.

2. What is Partnerships for Schools (PfS)?

The government department for education, now known as the Department for Education (DfE) set up an organisation to manage the BSF programme. Partnerships for Schools (PfS) is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) set up to assist local authorities in the delivery of BSF and Academy projects, jointly managed by the DfE and Partnerships UK.

3. Which schools in Westminster are part of the BSF Programme?

The following nine schools are within Westminster's BSF Programme:

• Pimlico Academy
• St. Marylebone CE School
• Westminster City School
• St. Augustine's CE High School
• St. George's RC School
• The Grey Coat Hospital
• College Park School
• Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee School
• Quintin Kynaston Community Foundation School
• Beachcroft School (PRU)

4. How much investment is available for Westminster Schools?

Around £152m of building and ICT funding is available for the Westminster BSF Programme.

5. When will Westminster Schools be redeveloped?

Phase 1

• Pimlico Academy
• St Marylebone CE School
• Westminster City School

The building works commenced in December 2007 and January 2008. Project completion for all three schools is due in 2011.

Phase 2

• St. Augustine's CE High School
• St. George's RC School
• The Grey Coat Hospital

The building works started in spring 2009 and all three will be completed in the course of 2011.

Phase 3

• QEII Jubilee School
• College Park School

The building works at QEII Jubilee School commenced in November 2009 and are due to be completed in July 2011.  Work at College Park School began in July 2010, with an anticipated completion date of late 2011.

Phase 4 (including Primary Capital Programme Phase 1) - The Marlborough Hill Campus

• Quintin Kynaston Community Foundation School
• Beachcroft School
• George Eliot Infant School
• George Eliot Junior School

Current plans indicate commencement of building works in autumn 2010. 

6. Which company is providing the building work and ICT for the BSF schools?

After an extensive tendering process Bouygues Partnership for Education and Community (BPEC) was appointed as preferred bidder in late 2007. BPEC is a consortium of several companies:

• Bouygues UK - part of the large French based Bouygues construction company;
• Ramesys - ICT company with educational transformation and technology expertise;
• Ecovert - a Bouygues Group subsidiary running facilities management contracts.

Financial Close was reached on 10 April 2008, at which point the BPEC consortium formally entered into a joint venture company with Westminster City Council - the Westminster Local Education Partnership (LEP).

7. Will the schools be disrupted during the building phase? How will the school protect the education of my child from building disruption?

All nine schools will have a major on-site building programme lasting typically around 18 to 24 months. Westminster City Council is working closely with the LEP and site staff to ensure disruptions are kept to a minimum. Thus the major demolition works have been scheduled to take place during school holiday periods.

All school building programmes will be managed to protect the delivery of the curriculum for all students. The current plans show that with careful phasing of new build and demolition, all classes requiring specialist facilities (e.g science labs) will continue to be taught in specialist accommodation. Some schools will use temporary mobile classrooms during part of the building phase.

Health and Safety standards have been set a very high level for this programme. The high health and safety standards in BPEC's other building programmes, witnessed first hand by the Council and schools representatives, were a major factor in our selection process, and form a vital element of the programme as the plans unfold.

8. How do Westminster Schools plan to raise standards?

Six Ambitions have been developed as part of the vision for Westminster BSF:

• Success for Students;
• Improved behaviour, motivation and engagement;
• Better provision for special needs;
• Improved ICT for e-learning and e-management;
• A wider programme of courses for 14-19 year olds;
• All schools at the heart of the community.

Each school has planned their education improvement programme and investment proposals in line with these six ambitions.

9. What are the plans for ICT investment in Westminster schools?

The BSF schools will receive around £10.6 million of investment in new infrastructure, cabling and servers and new computer equipment. A five year contract for managing the whole ICT service was signed at Financial Close on 10th April 2008.