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UK National Audit Office publications

Work in Progress: Building Schools for the Future

Study Outline

The Department for Children, Schools and Families’ (DCSF) Building Schools for the Future programme (BSF) aims to renew all the schools in England where there is need, in fifteen waves of investment that started in 2005-06.

The programme uses public private partnership arrangements to deliver. Local Education Partnerships between the Local Authority, central government and private investors oversee PFI arrangements for new schools and conventional procurement of refurbishment projects, as well as the management of ICT, Facilities Management and building contractors. The overall national programme is managed by Partnerships for Schools, a joint venture between DCSF and Partnerships UK.

DCSF intends that the delivery arrangements will enable Local Authorities to take a more strategic approach to the renewal of their secondary school estate, helping them achieve transformational change in education and the life options of their pupils.

Our study will focus on whether the BSF programme is fit for purpose by asking:

• Is the BSF model the right choice of procurement and delivery mechanism?
• Is the BSF programme being implemented effectively?
• Is the BSF programme cost effective?

Publication Schedule

We intend to publish our report in late 2008.

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