Secondary schools masterplan approved

Released: 22 April 2008

An important milestone has been reached in plans to transform secondary education in Wolverhampton with up to £300 million of Government investment.

Wolverhampton City Council’s Building Schools for the Future masterplan document has been given approval by Government ministers - moving the programme another step forward.

Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is part of a massive £4 billion plan to regenerate the city and improve the lives of residents.

It will mean significant new investment in secondary school buildings and in specialist facilities such as sport, science and computer technology. It will also help children to succeed through new ways of learning that are tailored to their needs.

The masterplan document - called the Strategy for Change Part 1 - outlines what the council intends to do with the £300 million of Government funding which will be made available by 2011 to make the BSF vision a reality.

In a letter confirming the ministerial approval, BSF Schools Capital Manager, Dana Woodmansey, said: “There is evidence of strong stakeholder engagement within the project and a compelling view of transformation across many aspects of learning and teaching, personalisation and 21st century buildings, supported by the creative use of ICT.”

Richard Carr, Chief Executive of Wolverhampton City Council, said he was delighted that the Government had given the council the green light to progress its transformation plans for secondary education.

He said: “Gaining approval from Government ministers for this document is fantastic news.

“It is another major step forward in Wolverhampton’s BSF programme which is one of the most significant developments in our city’s education for many decades.

“A substantial amount of planning and consultation is taking place to secure the investment we need to fulfil our ambitious proposals - and I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this so far.”

Roy Lockwood, Director for Children and Young People, added: “We’re very proud of the achievements of our city’s children. They are doing better in their GCSEs and more are staying in school after 16. They are also leaders in e-learning, using new technology to learn anywhere, any time. This has earned them national and international recognition and Building Schools for the Future will build on this success.

“Wolverhampton’s children are the city’s future. Investing in their future makes a direct contribution to the regeneration and future prosperity of our city.”

Under the plans, Highfields Science Specialist School, Heath Park Business and Enterprise College, Penn Fields School and Tettenhall Wood School are among those schools to be re-built.

The proposals also include establishing two new city academies that will be accessible to all - in Bilston and the north of the city. The city council will be one of the sponsors in both of the new centres of learning.

Wolverhampton City Council joined the Government’s Building Schools for the Future programme in September 2007. In the latest stage of the process, the Strategy for Change Part 2 document - which provides additional details to Part 1 and sets out a plan for delivering the changes - has been submitted for approval following extensive consultation.

To find out more about BSF visit www.wolverhamptonbsf.org.uk

Issued by the press office.