Partnerships for Schools (PfS) is to take over the management and delivery of all school building and refurbishment programmes from 1 October 2009, Schools Minister Vernon Coaker has announced.

PfS has already put in place strong day-to-day management of the BSF and Academies building programmes, which is rebuilding or refurbishing all secondary schools in England.

This announcement means that the day-to-day delivery of the rest of the Government's schools capital programmes will now transfer to PfS from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).

The total value of the capital programmes transferring to PfS is £1,580 billion up until 2011.

Speaking on a visit to Beaumont Leys School, a BSF school which has recently opened, six weeks ahead of schedule, in Leicester, Mr Coaker said: "Top-class school facilities, ICT, music and sports facilities are central to having a world-class education system, raising standards and inspiring young people.


"A decade ago, classrooms and facilities were in a dire state as decades of underinvestment let down generation after generation of young people and teachers. But today, hundreds of primary, secondary, academy and special schools have already or are being rebuilt or refurbished backed by a seven-fold real terms increase in capital investment from just £700m a year in 1997 to £7,943 billion this year.

"BSF is now well established, with 86 schools benefitting from investment to date and momentum building fast so that newly revamped schools are opening, week after week, month after month thanks to Partnerships for Schools management".

The changes will make delivering centrally-led school building programmes easier and more joined up with a single agency dealing with all local authorities, schools, the construction industry and private sector leading to one conversation for all stakeholders involved.

The DCSF will retain a Central Capital Unit providing policy advice to ministers that cuts across all the department's capital programmes.

PfS Chief Executive Tim Byles said: "For each of the last three years now, BSF has met or exceeded its delivery targets for school openings and we have worked hard to improve the processes that support the delivery of the programme, most recently introducing changes that look set to deliver savings of up to £250m.

"Our goal is to deliver inspiring learning environments for every young person in the country, whilst ensuring at the same time that every penny of taxpayers' money is well spent. With the accelerating pace of schools opening, that goal is fast becoming a reality the length and breadth of the country."

(CD/JM)