Mace Group

Although the UK government has committed to roll out Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programmes in 6 more local authorities, the wider anticipated reduction in public spending is expected to result in the cancellation of up to one in seven school rebuilding programmes. It is therefore increasingly important that local authorities work towards an early entry into the BSF programme. Mace Group which has successfully helped deliver over a quarter of the existing programmes provides its top 5 tips on getting ready to deliver.

1. Articulate an ambitious and transformational vision
National agendas
Demonstrate your policies are aligned to the five "Every Child Matters" outcomes by tackling barriers to learning, improving health and breaking cycles of disadvantage.

Sustainability
Support the government's aim to reduce carbon emissions making all new school buildings zero carbon by 2016. Mace helped deliver Howe Dell Primary School, the first fully sustainable school in the UK.

Choice and diversity
Engage with the Office of the Schools Commissioner (OSC), their regional children services advisor and the regional special educational needs (SEN) advisor to provide every child with a school place where they are happy and can flourish.

Integration and inclusion
Work to provide innovative programmes to prevent exclusions from mainstream education. Twelve pilots around the country will test new and innovative ways of teaching those who have been excluded or those at risk of exclusion.

KPI's
Set robust targets and demonstrate how those targets can be improved, Hampshire County Council set performance indicators based on the 'children and young person's plan 2009-2012' and has been rated as a top performing council.

2. Show how BSF will contribute
BSF can act as a catalyst to develop integrated and coordinated investment programmes helping to ultimately reduce long-term unemployment. Mace client London Borough of Lewisham's improved general educational standards through the introduction of a bespoke transformational ICT managed service supporting personalised learning and teaching.

3. Engage with Partnerships for Schools
Councils should accept that the preferred solution for the delivery of BSF is through the establishment of a Local Education Partnership (LEP).

4. Get stakeholder buy-in
Local authorities are strongly encouraged by PfS to take responsibility for engaging and consulting with all stakeholders early in the process to get commitment from all council departments and school members.

5. Mind the gap
Identify any barriers to preparing a successful submission:

• Existing contractual arrangements - Mace led the negotiation of revised contractual arrangements to allow clients involved in PFI deals to progress their programmes.
• Pupil place planning - check pupil numbers are accurate. Mace investigated inconsistencies in detailed pupil planning that led to additional funding for one client.
• Affordability - find out what schools actually need, whilst identifying other sources of funding for those initiatives PfS do not fund.
• Estates strategy - find out if the vision works alongside existing buildings, an overall strategy will be required for each school to ensure that the programme doesn't curtail future expansion.
• Resources - the BSF programme can be a drain on resource: senior management will be required to help at all stages.

Special offer: Senior BSF consultants from Mace will hold a free of charge one-day workshop to assess your ability to successfully pass the readiness to deliver criteria. As a result of this you will be able to identify any major issues that need to be addressed for you to move forward quickly and effectively.
Contact:

North: stephanie.hull@macegroup.com

Midlands: simon.dale@macegroup.com

London and South East: david.rumsey@macegroup.com

South West:  jeremy.damrel@macegroup.com