Building Schools for the Future (BSF)
Oldham’s BSF Plans Approved
Oldham’s £200 million plans to transform every secondary school in the Borough have now been approved by the Government.
Partnerships for Schools, the Government agency which manages the national Building Schools for the Future programme, has approved Oldham Council’s plans to build several new schools and to rebuild or substantially refurbish others. Some existing schools would eventually close as new schools opened. Every secondary school will also receive substantial investment in new technology and facilities.
Building Schools for the Future is part of a national programme to transform education standards for secondary school students. BSF is a long-term programme that will see the Government invest £2.2 billion each year on replacing, rebuilding or renovating every secondary school across the country.
Our Vision
Oldham already has many excellent schools and teachers and we want to build on these solid foundations to transform our secondary schools so they can provide the modern education, skills and qualifications our children will need to compete for jobs and places in higher education.
We want to deliver a greater range of academic and vocational courses and make greater use of new technology so Oldham’s youngsters can grasp the opportunities that will be available to them.
Our new schools will be equipped with the latest facilities and others will be refurbished so they are can deliver the 21st century education our children will need. And while some of the schools that have served us so well will close, their strengths and their excellent teachers will be at the foundation of our future schools.
Our vision is to provide better secondary schools to improve educational standards and also schools where young people from all Oldham’s communities can learn together and realise their full potential. We also want our schools to be 21st century centres of learning so that they help to regenerate the Borough by providing access to a wide range of facilities such as information technology, health, sports and arts facilities that benefit the whole community.
Our Proposals
The proposals for each school are in line with what was previously announced and which received broad support during consultation earlier this year.
They include:
- Creating three new academies, one in the west, one in the east and one in the north central part of the borough.
- Bringing the Our Lady and St Augustine schools together as one school on a new site accessible to all
- Saddleworth School will be rebuilt on a site which has yet to be decided.
- New Bridge will gain on-site accommodation for its 6th Form
- Royton & Crompton, Hathershaw, North Chadderton, The Blue Coat and Crompton House will all receive substantial refurbishment and investment in areas such as information technology.
- Breeze Hill, Counthill, Grange, Kaskenmoor and South Chadderton schools would eventually close as the new schools come on board. Every effort will be made to retain and build on the current best practise and specialisms within these schools.
It is hoped that work to build new schools can start from 2011.
Consultation
The first stage of consultation ended in Spring 2007. Thank you to everyone who submitted their comments during the consultation period. These responses have been considered and have helped Oldham Council to draw up more detailed plans.
There will be a further round of consultation when residents, parents, pupils, governors and teachers, will be consulted on the proposals for each individual school.
Further information about the second round of consultation will be published soon.
For more information
For more information about BSF in Oldham contact the BSF team.
BSF Project Team
Level 8
Civic Centre
PO Box 40
West Street
Oldham
OL1 1XJ
Tel: 0161 770 3287
Fax: 0161 770 3222
E-mail: cypf.bsf@oldham.gov.uk