What is Building Schools for the Future?
Building Schools for the Future is the government’s flagship programme to rebuild or refurbish all secondary schools in England over 15 years at a cost of £45 billion. The funding is being devolved to local authorities in a series of 15 ‘waves’. Since the programme was launched in July 2003 there have been five waves involving 73 local authorities – the most recent in September this year. A further 16 will make up wave six early in 2008. The government has promised that every LA in England will have received funding to renew at least the school in greatest need by 2011 and that major rebuilding and remodelling projects involving at least three schools will have started in every area by 2016. The project has fallen behind its original timetable, which envisaged 100 schools being built by the end of this year. So far only one brand new school procured under BSF has been opened and it will be next spring before another 11 are expected to be ready. MPs on the Commons Education and Skills C
