14 EDUCATION
Briefing material that BCSE produce for the Big School Makeover
Now he is ready for the next challenge it faces. ‘What is next for schools capital?’, he asks. After the enormous expenditure of the last few years, we must prepare for leaner times. ‘One of the major issues is that the investment has stopped,’ he says. ‘We have still got 54 local authorities that are not yet in BSF.’ That is where initiatives like the Big School Makeover come in. At first it looks rather gimmicky – an initiative supported by ICI Dulux and by builder Willmott Dixon to offer rapid transformation of depressing spaces. With paint, lights, furniture and acoustic panels, key spaces were given a new look – and filmed for television.
It may seem superficial, but if the funds run out, this may be the only form of transformation available to our schools. ‘We have got an amazing amount of school estate that is in poor condition,’ Goddard says. And if we follow the Swedish model we may find children being educated in schools that were originally designed for other purposes. ‘The free schools are in old lightbulb factories, in old submarine factories,’ Goddard says. It is not that Goddard doesn’t believe in
investment. It is just that he thinks that we should make sure, especially if money is restricted, that it is spent wisely and well. In these Swedish schools, he says, ‘there is also a massive investment in learning technology and kit.’ What he wants is to avoid the British disease of starting with grandiose ambitions and ending up skimping on the details – some of which are vital. ‘I can’t see the point of not having decent furniture,’ he says. ‘There’s no point in buying Turkey Twizzler furniture.’
Knowledge is what will help us to spend wisely, and to this end BCSE has set up a schools commission chaired by former education minister Baroness Morris, that will report shortly. ‘It has taken evidence from all over the country,’ Goddard says, ‘trying to gather examples of practice within the built environment that makes a difference to teaching and learning.’
The space shown on the previous page, prior to makeover
If we can get to the bottom of this, then the country will be in a strong position. Already, says Goddard, ‘we have built up a level of expertise that I think is unparalleled in the world.’ It didn’t do this country much good trying to be a centre of excellence in banking. Perhaps we could do better as a centre of excellence in education buildings? It is a stance that Goddard would certainly enjoy.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76