The Department has launched a privately financed programme to provide school facilities. It is intended to address those schools in the worst condition.

Ministers may also take into account pressing cases of basic need (the requirement for additional school places) and other ministerial priorities. The programme is likely to include a mix of primary schools, secondary schools, special schools, sixth form colleges and alternative provision.

 
 How do we complete the form for sixth form colleges?

To calculate the floor area and rebuilding costs, insert "1" in the secondary pupil number and capacity boxes and the balance in the post-16 boxes.  So for example if the total number for the establishment is 240, insert "1" and "239" respectively in the boxes.

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 Who makes the final decision about which schools/academies/sixth form colleges will be included in the programme?

All decisions will be made by the Department in accordance with the process described in the Invitation Letter.

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 Are you providing detailed evaluation criteria for selection?

The selection process will be carried out as set out in the Invitation Letter.

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 Why have we been informed of the application process just before the start of the summer holidays?

The programme could not have been announced earlier as a considerable amount of preparation had to take place beforehand. The deadline for receipt of applications is 14 October, which will allow sufficient time for applications to be made following the end of the summer holidays.

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 Why is condition need the criterion for selection? Is this not simply rewarding failure by giving new schools to local authorities/academies who haven’t managed their buildings properly?

The schools in the worst condition are those that require investment. New maintenance strategies will deal with the future upkeep of schools.

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 Are issues of suitability being taken into account in selecting schools to be included in the programme?

The first priority is to ensure that condition need is met. Suitability for inclusion in a PPP programme will be considered once condition need is met.

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 How will you prioritise schools if you have more eligible schools with equal condition needs than the budget will allow for?

We will look at other criteria such as deliverability and will consider other published departmental policies and priorities.

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 Will eligible schools be batched by region or area?

It is likely that schools will be batched so as to ensure that the programme is structured as efficiently as possible. The position on batching will be clearer once applications have been processed.

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 If we aren’t included in the first group of the programme but are an eligible school, will we get priority for inclusion in future groups?

The data collected under this application process will be used to determine whether you are included in the first or subsequent groups of schools in this programme, or are not included in the programme at all.

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 Do we need to carry out new surveys?

Only if you do not have surveys or if existing surveys were carried out more than two years ago and have not been updated since.

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 What condition surveys should we carry out?

See the weblink in the Invitation Letter for further information.

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 Are voluntary aided schools expected to fund 10 per cent of the capital cost as they currently do?

This question is still being considered and advice will be issued in due course.

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 How do voluntary aided schools apply?

Voluntary aided schools may apply either via their local authority or via their Diocese/faith body, but should not apply through both routes.

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 Will we be able to apply for a partial school rebuild?

A privately financed project would need to cover the whole school site and unless at least 70 per cent (by floor area) of a school is replaced, the work is unlikely to be value for money.

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 Will we get a say in how our school looks?

Yes but there will be significant constraints.

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 Will we get a say in what the contract says and what risks are retained?

No - that will be a matter for the central negotiating team but you will have some say in the governing body arrangements. These will govern what risks sit with individual schools.

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 How do you intend to liaise with the relevant school in terms of requirements?

We will allocate a design and technical lead to work with you to ensure that, where appropriate, local issues and requirements are recognised and taken into account in negotiations.

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 What is expected of the local authority/school during the procurement itself?

The local authority/school will be expected to offer assistance and facilitate the provision of information, ensuring in particular that information relating to any staff expected to transfer to the contractor is made available in good time and that information relating to the school site(s) is made available in advance of the procurement. The local authority may also be expected to assist in the process of obtaining necessary statutory approvals.

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 Will we as a local authority/school get funding to enable staff to engage in this process and provide the relevant information, documentation and administrative support?

No. As the procurement will be handled centrally it is not expected that staff costs will be significant.

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 How are you intending to run the contract once it is procured?

We are considering contract management issues.  We expect that schools will have some involvement. At a minimum this would be in reporting and in identifying shortfalls in availability and service provision.

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 What risks in the contracts are you expecting the school/local authority to take back?

This will be considered by the central negotiating team on a case-by-case basis with value for money being the key driver.

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 How much revenue funding are you expecting from each school?

Revenue funding contributions will be agreed with each school and will be made annually, subject to inflationary adjustments, for the duration of the contract period, i.e. approximately 25 years.  As a rough guide schools should be prepared to contribute between £50 and £60 for facilities management costs (including maintenance and cleaning) and between £10 and £20 for utilities, in each case per square metre, per year and excluding VAT.  The mechanism for covering these costs has yet to be considered.

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 Why can’t we provide our own soft services (i.e. cleaning, catering)?

Provision of soft services is likely to be procured centrally to achieve value for money.

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 How should we complete Section C of the application form in respect of middle schools?

The primary and secondary pupil number boxes should be completed in the normal way; the base area standard (which will be half-way between that of a primary and a secondary school) is automatically adjusted for middle schools.

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  We have a mixture of ambulant and non ambulant pupils at our school. Which category should we use from the drop down box?

While many special schools will accommodate a wide range of needs, some are for predominantly ambulant pupils, such as those for MLD or BESD, while others are for predominantly non-ambulant pupils with PMLD and SLD, who require more specialist medical, hygiene and therapy provision. The non-ambulant category should be applied where all these facilities, typically including a hydrotherapy pool, would be needed for the majority of pupils.

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