Schools’ revamp still on course

KAY KNOX . . .huge effort

DELAYS to the Government’s programme to rebuild or refurbish every secondary school in England will not hit Oldham’s ambitious education overhaul.

That’s the message from council bosses after the National Audit Office found that the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme was up to £10 billion over budget and almost two years behind schedule.

A damning report concluded that Partnership for Schools, which was set up to deliver the programme, was “overly optimistic”.

Ministers originally said 200 schools would be open by December last year — but this figure is not forecast to be met until September, 2010. The cost of BSF is also estimated to be £52billion and £55 billion, up to £10 billion more than originally forecast.

Oldham submitted its BSF outline business case (OBC) for a £230 million overhaul of the borough’s high school to the Government at the end of January. This would see every secondary pupil taught in a new or refurbished school by 2014, including three academies run by sponsors and a new RC high school.

Councillor Kay Knox, cabinet member for children, young people and families, said: “I am pleased to say that due to the huge effort of the council, schools and other partners, we succeeded in submitting our OBC on time.

“We are expecting the Department for Children, Schools and Families’ final decision in March.

“A successful OBC effectively guarantees our place in the programme — the funding is fixed and we are on schedule. This will ensure that the wider national issues with BSF, that are affecting other authorities further behind us in the BSF process, shouldn’t impact on our programme negatively in any way.”