Feature Story

Transforming learning in Luton

Kevin Crompton, Chief Executive of Luton Borough Council, shares the authority's views on what it hopes to achieve with its ambitious Building Schools for the Future programme.

Our BSF journey started back in January 2005 with an outline business case detailing how, with an investment of over £280m, we could rebuild and remodel our secondary school estate of 13 schools over four consecutive years. Alongside this work we completed our 'reshaping the estate' audit of all community facilities in the town. We then mapped opportunities for combining renewal of community facilities with the BSF programme. Our vision is to deliver community facilities that, for part of their time, provide what we now call 'school'. These buildings will be inspiring educational facilities and community hubs with a focus on the provision and use of ICT. There will be extended community use of school buildings, and good and flexible design. The result is that, for the first time, all our secondary schools will be in a good position to support innovative teaching and learning, including personalised learning, and this scheme will ultimately transform the way Luton's young people learn and not only inspire them, but their teachers and the wider community too.

The BSF process was driven by a strong and pragmatic client team, who adopted a partnership approach with the private sector even during the bidding process. The partnering started at an early stage with problems overcome in collaboration rather than through negotiation. The decision was taken early in the process to put two consortia into the final bidding round. This enabled us to streamline the tender evaluation timetable, giving us the opportunity for more detailed and more value-added time to be spent with each of the bidders.

Following a rigorous selection process, we chose QED Wates in December 2008 as our Local Education Partner to redevelop the schools. Working under the name of the Luton Learning & Community Partnership (LLCP), they will also deliver the primary capital programme and help to develop further regeneration opportunities including: £80m of investment in the town's primary schools; the development of a £5.5m children's development centre in collaboration with NHS Luton featuring a health centre and early years provision; the £25m Luton Aquatic Centre, which will feature a state-of-the-art fitness centre, a 50m pool and diving centre to accommodate national events; and additional social housing consisting of the development of 13 housing sites across the town, with the aim to build over 500 new homes. The new homes will be a mix of affordable, low-cost home ownership and some for outright sale. A housing association will join the partnership to own and manage the new affordable housing.

Financial close for Luton Borough Council, QED Wates and Building Schools for the Future Investments (BSFI) was reached in record time – two months early – only taking 18 months overall – one of the quickest in the national programme, and resulted in the school builds timetable for phase one starting on time in June. Building works have already started on two secondary schools and two academies.

Transforming education and learning
Our key criteria for the scheme involved delivering excellent solutions designed in consultation with the end-users – pupils, teachers and local communities. We are confident the BSF investment will provide the range of learning spaces necessary to deliver specialist diplomas and other courses via its ICT infrastructure, enabling pupils to work on more than one school site, from home and from a variety of locations within the community. All schools will be connected to a central data centre that will provide a common learning platform/managed learning environment that will enable secure 'anywhere, anytime' access to learning and teaching resources and will also support the integration of MIS systems.

BSF will support a new approach to schooling more driven by the 'choice of the learner'. Schools will become safe, vibrant learning campuses creating inspirational centres of learning that promote innovation and deliver a range of learning spaces with permanent access to new technologies, resulting in raised attainment. This will mean young people will have the confidence and support to shape their own destiny.

The new school campuses will contain a range of community, recreation, cultural, sporting, health and learning facilities and services that address local needs and provide community cohesion and citizenship. There will even be greater childcare facilities including before- and after-school activities, as well as support for parents, and swift and easy referral to a wide range of specialist and responsive support and outreach services and other facilities.

The additional facilities the project will deliver, including a new library and community theatre, are fundamental to helping the council deliver modern, flexible services to its customers and the people of Luton.

Regeneration opportunities
In the current climate, with high unemployment, the scheme is helping us to tackle the outcomes of the recession head on. A contributing factor for selecting QED Wates was their strong desire to keep the investment as local as possible. The company is not only committed to delivering up to 300 jobs – using local contractors and suppliers as well as creating around 275 apprenticeships and management trainees – but will also be supporting the long-term unemployed, helping them to get back into the workplace via the Wates Building for the Future training scheme.

BSF will improve recruitment, retention and training of a highly skilled, motivated and experienced workforce. It will also help schools to retain professionally trained teachers and will attract qualified teaching staff from other areas. It is also a key part of a local economic stimulus that will see over £500m of infrastructure projects delivered through the Luton Learning and Community Partnership over the next five years.

BSF for Luton is an exciting and forward-thinking initiative that will contribute to our ambition of making Luton an attractive place to live, learn and work, and it will have a positive impact on improving the quality of life for Luton residents.

Kevin Crompton
Chief Executive
Luton Borough Council
www.luton.gov.uk