Well – its been a busy final day before the Easter holidays. Nothing like a 105 page government report to test your stamina!. We were asked this afternoon to comment on a BBC report that headlines the ‘failure of the school building system’ but as I said: there is much to be welcomed in the [...]
Posts under ‘BSF’
James Review is (finally) here
After a long wait, we finally have the Independent Review of Education Capital – the James Review – which sets out the 16 recommendations for the reform of the way schools are procured, designed and built.
Still waiting for Sebastian James…
The long heralded James Review on the future of schools capital seems to have had more pencilled-in launch dates than a NASA Shuttle. But we are pretty confident it will be launched shortly… For an industry that thrives on certainty, local authorities that need to plan and schools that need investment, this delay has implications. [...]
Capital ‘James’ Review – our submission
It is clear that the much awaited Government’s Review of Capital Investment led by Sebastian James (pictured left) will represent a significant milestone in the development of a new approach to investing in the infrastructure and facilities in our schools across the country. The challenge is clear: how do we maintain a level of investment, [...]
Lord Knight: the future of school design
The BCSE Building Better Schools conference was in full swing one week ago. We are still getting some great feedback from participants and speakers alike – including this comment from leading journalist Fiona Millar:
Let’s be proud of our schools – set them free
We all have a memory of that place we call school. A moment of insight or fun; a teacher that inspired; the classroom; the sports field; an art room; a playground; a science experiment; the awful toilets. Our childhood in our schools has for many a particular and enduring place in our memories. And schools [...]
School environments DO matter
Its been pretty disheartening to see the debate taking place in the media recently that are carrying stories that buildings and school environments don’t make a difference. Despite this view flying in the face of all common sense, the practical experience of teachers and young people, an enormous chunk of evidence from office, retail and [...]
Hard politics and new directions for schools
This is a swirling and confusing time for those involved in schools and education. As a new landscape is taking shape there are a few things to note and a some to be wary of. It’s a heady mix for teachers and those at the sharp end as we wait for the headline spending figures [...]
Navigating and shaping the new landscape
We are back after a summer break and straight into a new term with a number of key milestones ahead – the interim Capital Review report expected in early October, the wide ranging Comprehensive Spending Review on the 20th October, this week’s announcement of the first set of 16 free schools plus a gentle but [...]
Capital Review update
We have now run both of our highly successful BCSE James Review sessions – with over 80 people attending this week. We have prepared a set of notes which you can download from here and update with your own comments and figures. The first is a case-study template (MS Word) and the second is a [...]
