Barnsley Building Schools for the Future (BSF) has entered its third phase of an ambitious £1billion plus scheme which will transform secondary and special education in Barnsley. Barnsley’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme reached financial close in July 2009 for the first phase of the programme forming a Local Education Business Partnership with its private sector partner Barnsley Partnership for Learning (BP4L), a joint venture between John Laing and Laing O’Rourke. BP4L has been selected to deliver a complete transformation of educational facilities throughout the borough alongside ICT partner Civica and JLIS.
It is the largest single investment made by Barnsley Council and is a significant part of the national Building Schools for the Future initiative. Nine iconic Advanced Learning Centres (ALCs) and two special schools will be built over coming years, with the first five due to open in 2011 - Carlton (January); Dearne (January); Darton (February); Kirk Balk and Penistone Grammar School (Easter).
They will be followed by Greenacre, Springwell and Priory/Willowgarth with Foulstone/Wombwell, Kingstone/Holgate and St Michael’s completing the programme by 2012/13.
Each new school will cost between £25million and £30million with much of the funding coming from the council’s and schools’ own resources and additional funding from others, including central government.
Laing O’Rourke commenced construction on phase two and three in 2010, with Shafton ALC reaching completion in December 2011, and Springwell and Greenacre opening in summer 2011. Once complete, John Laing Integrated Services (JLIS) will provide the facilities management for each school for 25 years, offering long term local employment.
The new educational facilities will feature state of the art physical and virtual facilities for Barnsley’s secondary and special pupils, adult learners, teachers, support staff and others involved in the teaching and learning environment. Specifically, the programme will deliver flexible learning spaces with greatly enhanced ICT provision, including better access to data and resources and a wider spread of portable devices, as well as modern learning resources, social facilities, circulation and social spaces, and vastly improved sports and leisure facilities.
For more information, please go to: http://www.barnsleylep.co.uk/Pages/BarnsleyLEP.aspx
