School pupils promote BSF scheme

"WE'LL tell you what we will expect from our future school!"  That is the message Stockton school pupils have for organisations who may be interested in bidding for the contract to design and build secondary schools across the Borough.

Three pupils from Bishopsgarth School and three pupils from Ian Ramsey Church of England School took part in a special event called a "Bidders' day" at the Education Centre in Norton last Thursday (25th June.)  It was attended by around 50 organisations, including architects, building contractors and ICT suppliers who wanted to find out more about Stockton's Building Schools for the Future programme.

The young people outlined some of the features they would like to see in their future learning environments which included performance and social areas in the heart of their school, high quality outdoor learning spaces and tidy gardens as well as those elements that they would like to avoid such as narrow corridors and a lack of natural light.

Ryan Morgan, a Year 11 pupil at Bishopsgarth School said: "I'm really looking forward to seeing the designs develop and it's great that we will have the opportunity to make sure the school is going to reflect what we and future pupils will want."

Councillor Alex Cunningham, Stockton Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People said: "Young people are at the heart of our Building Schools for the Future strategy and we want potential private sector partners to understand this.  It is vital that the successful organisation chosen to design and build our schools listens to our young people's views from the outset. Involving youngsters throughout the design process will help us develop school designs to reflect their needs and aspirations and create learning environments that will benefit pupils across Stockton Borough for generations to come."

Other speakers at the event included Stockton Council's Chief Executive, Neil Schneider, senior Council managers and teachers from both Bishopsgarth School and Ian Ramsey Church of England School who provided an overview of Stockton Borough Council and the Borough's Building Schools for the Future programme.

The Council is currently preparing the final piece of documentation which needs to be approved by Government before the Council can start the process of selecting a partner to design, build and maintain the schools.  This is called the Outline Business Case and ensures the proposal is affordable, offers value for money, is attractive to companies interested in building the schools and, most importantly, that it reflects the Borough's overall Building Schools for the Future vision.  This document will be submitted to Government in September.

Bishopsgarth School and Ian Ramsey Church of England School should be among the first in the borough to benefit from Building Schools for the Future (BSF) investment, should the Government approve the Council's Outline Business Case.  Work is anticipated to start on these sites in summer 2011.

http://www.stockton.gov.uk/pressoffice/

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