BSF Wave 6 - How long until I get the chop?

[hathor]

I only found out about BSF at the end of last week, and have been quite anxious about it since

My school is in wave 6, so I am told. My line manager tries to assure me that I don't even need to think about doing anything for another 4 or 5 years, and that nothing will actually happen in terms of my termination for approaching ten years.

However, what I have seen online, and it is very sketchy indeed, suggests that I need to look for a job soon, and move along after a couple of years from now.

Does anyone have any idea of the likely timescale and how it will affect a school in a reasonably socio-economically OK area of wave 6?

How long from first warning/stirrings until reduncancy/TUPE?

[conehead]

You indicate you are in a "better" school so I think you personally don't need to worry, I think the Government will be spreading the jam thinner and the only the worst 4 schools in each LEA will get BSFed by wave 6 and the rest will carry on as they are.

The present consultation period may mean the BSF steamroller may come quicker to your area than you expect though if your own LA tries to get in there sooner that planned because they have a fear the BSF money will run out or be reconfigured before they can get a slice.

This is just my personal crystal ball reading though, and others may well think I'm too optimistic/pessimistic.

[GrumbleDook]

It is not *worst* schools ... but schools in teh *worst* areas. You may be in a successful school and get chosen ... in fact that might be a preferred option of some LAs to give something back to schools that have done well but with rubbish buildings.

[conehead]

I would agree, it's most likely to be the schools in the worst structural condition, or with the higest repair and maintenance costs that get chosen, and how that correlates with the academic standards would be an interesting study in it's own right.

My suspicion though is that the "failing schools " will get priority as the waves were chosen in the order of percieved greatest need first.

[broc]

Don't forget the Govt are very 'keen' on Academies too, and will go out of their way to try and convince LAs.

Of course LAs who are not so keen as the Govt about Academies can find their progress with BSF somewhat hampered until they come round to the Govts way of thinking

Originally, the Academies program was intended to target under-performing schools, now it is cynically used to 'top-up' BSF funds so that more schools can be rebuilt. Even schools which are high-performing get targeted to become Academies.

[GrumbleDook]

High performing schools are usually targeted so that they 'support' under-performing schools as part of the deal into becoming an academy.

The cynic might also say that when the stats are coming out about the performance of Academies it doesn't hurt to have those high-performing schools in there and that they offset the poor schools they 'support' (ok ... read take over instead of support!)

[Bridit]

I'm in the East Riding of Yorkshire and have just been informed that the LA is applying for BSF funding, I too have been watching the forums about BSF with some trepidation, what I would like to know is why we never see input from TUPED members about life on "the other side" do they have their keyboards taken away with their innovation?

[CyberNerd]

hat I would like to know is why we never see input from TUPED members about life on "the other side" do they have their keyboards taken away with their innovation?

probably just a big fat clause in their contract about posting to public forums.
discussing company info isn't to be encouraged, it could lead to competitors (other schools) improving.

[Heebeejeebee]

I just found out that although we are not in wave 6 (some of our schools in the LA are and some are not), the mangled service will still apply to ALL schools in the LA - not just those in wave 6.

*sigh*

HBJB

[browolf]

probably just a big fat clause in their contract about posting to public forums.
discussing company info isn't to be encouraged, it could lead to competitors (other schools) improving.

we need a whistleblower

[Grommit]

I just found out that although we are not in wave 6 (some of our schools in the LA are and some are not), the mangled service will still apply to ALL schools in the LA - not just those in wave 6.

*sigh*

HBJB

If you are not a BSF school then you are not forced to accept the managed service...

You need to do some work now and make a successful business case Against the outsourcing and scare the crap out of the Governors and Head Teacher on how it will adversely affect the school and the School ICT Community...

Costs against service will be a good start...

[Grommit]

I'm in the East Riding of Yorkshire and have just been informed that the LA is applying for BSF funding, I too have been watching the forums about BSF with some trepidation, what I would like to know is why we never see input from TUPED members about life on "the other side" do they have their keyboards taken away with their innovation?

As i said before RM had a silence clause if you purchased some of their products... you were not allowed to discuss RM issues outside of the controlled RM forums.. (as per terms and conditions)

[Heebeejeebee]

If you are not a BSF school then you are not forced to accept the managed service...

You need to do some work now and make a successful business case Against the outsourcing and scare the crap out of the Governors and Head Teacher on how it will adversely affect the school and the School ICT Community...

Costs against service will be a good start...

Our Head is already dead against it and has assured us that we're safe (not in writing though). I'm sure though that if it came to a choice of keeping us and rejecting the managed service or loosing the BSF re-build/refurbishment we'd be out the door as fast as we could be pushed.

I had heard that if a school wanted the benefit of a re-build/refurbishment then they have to take the managed service. Has anyone seen anything official about this? No matter how hard I google I can find nothing much to say about the ins and outs of BSF - only how 'good' it'll be for everyone. The Partnership for Schools website is full of dead links and our LA has nothing about it on their website at all despite wave 6 having already started.

How does BSF apply to school that are not so tied in with the LA (Trust schools, foundation schools etc)?

HBJB

[Heebeejeebee]

As i said before RM had a silence clause if you purchased some of their products... you were not allowed to discuss RM issues outside of the controlled RM forums.. (as per terms and conditions)

I wonder why that is! Perhaps they don't want to make the rest of us jealous.

HBJB

[russdev]

As i said before RM had a silence clause if you purchased some of their products... you were not allowed to discuss RM issues outside of the controlled RM forums.. (as per terms and conditions)

I will say again grommit which product sorry you can't make claims with out backing it up we have number of rm products I am allowed to take about everyone and not been asked not to talk about them.

Only time i have been asked not discuss a product is when I have signed a nda as it was pre-release version which is fair enough.

So either provide the product name (can be pm'd to me if wish) or stop making the claims which you can't prove.

Russell