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10 September: Forum for views on the future of learning

A web-based forum has been launched to encourage parents, pupils and residents in Portsmouth to give their views on the initial plans to transform secondary education in the city.

A multi-million pound ‘Building Schools for the Future’ (BSF) programme will see the rebuilding or refurbishment of all 12 city schools where there are pupils of secondary school age.

Initial plans for the programme have been approved by the government and government funding of between £100 and £200 million is anticipated to turn 'Building Schools for the Future' plans into a reality in the city.

Detailed information on BSF in Portsmouth can be found at the Building Schools for the Future section of www.portsmouth.gov.uk/learning. This also includes a forum where people are invited to debate, discuss and give their views on the options for the project in Portsmouth.

Councillor Eleanor Scott is Cabinet Member for Education, Children and Young People at the city council. She said: "BSF matters to every resident, especially parents and children, in Portsmouth. It gives us the chance to transform secondary education across the city for generations to come.

“We want as many people as possible to help shape the transformation and detailed information on the plans so far is available on our web-site. We want people to use the forum to let us know what they think of the plans, whether they support them and how they think we should make the most of the opportunities that BSF offers.”

Initial plans accepted by the government include a vision for learning for the city that aims to continue to develop choice and access to a good range of schools, enhance ICT provision and provide improved and sustainable buildings that will provide excellent learning environments and better social facilities.

The vision has been developed with a range of partners including children and young people, headteachers, schools governors and councillors. 

Changes in the arrangements of governing secondary schools to allow them to continue to improve their performance have also been approved by the government. This means that:

• Admiral Lord Nelson, City of Portsmouth Girls', Mayfield, Miltoncross, Priory, and Springfield will remain community schools and support citywide collaborations
• St Luke's will become an Academy and support citywide collaborations
• City of Portsmouth Boys' and King Richard will become Trust schools and support citywide collaborations
• St Edmund's will remain a voluntary aided school and support citywide collaborations
• Redwood Park and Harbour will remain community special schools.

Admiral Lord Nelson, City of Portsmouth Boys' School, Mayfield, Miltoncross and Priory secondary schools will also work with Portsmouth College as a loose federation focusing on specific targeted areas of English and Maths. 

Details of the main aspects of the proposals for BSF so far can be found at www.portsmouthcc.gov.uk/learning, by telephoning (023) 9284 1117 or e-mailing bsf@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Nationally, Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is the largest capital investment programme for more than 50 years, providing world-class teaching and learning environments for all pupils, teachers and communities in England.

Plans for the transformation of all city secondary schools will be submitted to Partnership for Schools on November 4, with detailed proposals for each school needed by March 2009.

There will be three phases of building work and improvements to the schools in Portsmouth with phase one of the improvement programme to start in 2010/11.

The improvements to the schools in the third and final phase and the whole BSF programme, is likely to be completed by 2015/16.

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