About the national programme

Better secondary school buildings to support educational reform

Building Schools for the Future (BSF) represents a new approach to capital investment. It is bringing together significant investment in buildings and in ICT (information and communications technology) over the coming years to support the government’s educational reform agenda.

The government is committed to devolve significant funds to local authorities (LAs) and schools to spend on maintaining and improving their school buildings. But it also wants to promote a step-change in the quality of provision. That is the focus of Building Schools for the Future (BSF).

BSF – worth £2.2 billion in its first year (2005-6) – aims to ensure that secondary pupils learn in 21st-century facilities. Investment will be rolled out to every part of England over 15 waves, subject to future public spending decisions.

By 2011, every LA in England will have received funding to renew at least the school in greatest need – many will have major rebuilding and remodelling projects (at least three schools) underway through BSF and the remainder will have received resources through the Academies programme or Targeted Capital Fund.

By 2016, major rebuilding and remodelling projects (at least three schools) will have started in every LA.

Through this investment, BSF aims to drive reform – such as Academies, new options at 14-19, provision for special needs and extended schools. Innovation in delivery, through the creation of a national delivery partner for schools and LAs –Partnerships for Schools– will bring greater value for money, as well as effective implementation.

More information on the programme can be found on the official BSF website and the Partnerships for Schools website (these links will open in new windows).