Walsall’s Building Schools for the Future plans get the go-aheadPublished in Featured, Local News, News on 19th November, 2009

Walsall’s £100 million Building Schools for the Future programme, which seeks to transform learning across the borough, has been given the green light.The final go-ahead to embark on the 10 year transformation programme came at a special remit meeting between Walsall Council officials and the Government at Walsall Town Hall.

Representatives from Partnership for Schools (the body set up by the government to deliver BSF) and the Department for Children Schools and Families formally approved Walsall’s vision for transforming children and young people’s future learning over future generations.

Six secondary schools are in line to be the first to benefit from the investment:

- Alumwell Business and Enterprise College

- Joseph Leckie Community Technology College

- Pool Hayes Arts and Community School

- Shire Oak School (A Science College)

- The Streetly School (A Specialist Sports College)

- Frank F Harrison Engineering College

As part of the programme, the council has launched a new website –  www.transforminglearninginwalsall.org.uk – to explain their proposals and encourage children, young people, residents, businesses, local groups and other interested parties to get involved.   

The Transforming Learning in Walsall programme will bring:

• The biggest ever investment in schools
• A once in a lifetime opportunity to transform learning for the future
• World class learning and educational environments
• Flexible, inspirational and innovative approaches to education design
• Great facilities for our communities
• Not just new buildings, this programme will create learning hubs for whole communities

All schools in Walsall will benefit from the project through the use of cutting edge technology, greater collaboration between schools and by opening up facilities for greater community use.  The programme will also link in with key regeneration initiatives planned across the borough and a major programme of consultation is already under way to capture ideas and suggestions from children and young people, parents, community and voluntary groups, council partners, other agencies, local residents and businesses.

The BSF project in Walsall will see construction work starting in 2012 with the first new and remodelled schools expected to open in 2014.

There will be many opportunities as the programme develops to get involved in further consultation events. Results from previous events are currently being reviewed by the Council and will be fed back into Walsall’s transforming learning strategy to change the way children, young people and their families learn in the future.