Reforming Building Schools for the Future

The think tank New Local Government Network (NLGN) has published a booklet focusing on Local Vision as one of the central threads of its claim that the major Building Schools for the Future programme needs to be reformed.

Rochdale's secondary schools are a part of this programme and dependent on it for its future educational prospects.

The programme as a whole involves the renovation and reconstruction of all 3,500 secondary schools in the country by 2020.
Launched in 2004, the NLGN reports that two thirds of current BSF projects are behind schedule with just 42 schools complete by now compared to the originally planned 200.

But that is far from being the major concern of NLGN.

It looks also at how resources are prioritised and allocated, the local procurement process and the right design for buildings.

However as its title 'Founded on Local Vision' suggests, its major concern is the suitability of the schools that emerge from this programme for the specifically local conditions and needs of each area. As the authors conclude, Local Vision is fundamental to establishing the right foundations for the next generations of schools and guidance requires local authorities to consult their key partners in developing their vision.