BSF experience of VT Education and Skills esp Greenwich or Lewisham

[TerryTibbs]

I see that Vosper Thorneycroft brought their nuclear submarine fabrication expertise to bear in providing IT for 'wave 0' authorities Greenwich and Lewisham, but appear to have done nothing since under the BSF programme. Does anyone have any experience of or insight into how VT run school IT in these boroughs? Does anyone know why they appear not to have won other contracts - did they not bid, did they bid and lose etc. Any information about life under VT would be helpful. Thanks

[MMA]

VT focused on delivering Lewisham and Greenwich prior to bidding more BSF's. They are part of the winning Luton consortium and you'll see them in high profile bid consortiums over the coming months providing the education & ICT elements. They have a strong education division inc delivery of educational ICT solutions.

[tma]

I see that Vosper Thorneycroft brought their nuclear submarine fabrication expertise to bear in providing IT for 'wave 0' authorities Greenwich and Lewisham, but appear to have done nothing since under the BSF programme. Does anyone have any experience of or insight into how VT run school IT in these boroughs? Does anyone know why they appear not to have won other contracts - did they not bid, did they bid and lose etc. Any information about life under VT would be helpful. Thanks

With the government awarding BSF contracts to private companies at a time of severe cuts to public spending, where local councils are being forced to make substantial savings, you have to wonder whether tax payers are receiving value for money? Are exemplary procurement practices being promoted?
An employee working in the borough has brought a multi discrimination case against Babcock Education and Skills Limited, (formerly VT), and a subsidiary of the FTSE 100 Company Babcock International Group PLC.

Some of VT/Babcock's key Customers are:

• Hackney - Babcock is currently involved in the Hackney initiative delivering new and refurbished facilities as well as comprehensive infrastructure management and a major investment in information technology.
• London Borough of Greenwich - In this pathfinder programme, Babcock was selected as the Strategic Partnering Organisation (SPO) for Greenwich’s BSF programme to rebuild/refurbish 13 secondary schools. In partnership with Arup, it manages the delivery of the BSF programme ranging from selection of construction, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and facilities management providers, through to ongoing service delivery. It provides project management, ICT and educational expertise to ensure the programme is kept on time and to budget. VT Education is the Strategic Partnering Organisation (SPO) for Greenwich Council’s £290m BSF programme. Greenwich was the first BSF contract to be let in London.
• London Borough of Lewisham - Partnering with construction company, Costain, it formed Learning21 – the only BSF consortium in which the design, construction, ICT and FM services are led by an education company. This joint venture successfully secured the contract to form a Local Education Partnership (LEP) with Lewisham to deliver a £210m pathfinder programme to rebuild and refurbish all of the borough's 17 secondary and special schools. It began in 2007, with the construction of the first two schools and the rollout of ICT provision across the whole secondary school estate. Babcock provides innovative ICT solutions and managed services (provision of hardware, ongoing support and continuing professional development for staff) under a BECTA-accredited ‘Managed Service’. In August 2010 phase 3 of Lewisham’s Building Schools for the Future was agreed. Under the third phase of the project, the Borough’s Local Education Partnership vehicle (LEP) established a PFI project company to rebuild Deptford Green secondary school in order to provide new education and community facilities and to service those facilities over 25 years. Fixed-rate funding for the PFI contract was provided by Aviva, raised through a private bond offer. The LEP also contracted with the Borough to install an entirely new suite of ICT equipment and provide a 5-year managed ICT service at Deptford Green school from its completion using strategic BSF funding for ICT. The LEP is already providing a managed ICT service at seven further schools within the Borough which were part of the first two phases of the BSF programme, or which have either been recently built or refurbished by others. Under the ambit of a 10-year Strategic Partnering Agreement between the LEP and the London Borough of Lewisham, the LEP has exclusivity to work with the Borough on its c. £230 million education modernisation programme to undertake building improvements, facilities management services and the provision of a top-class information and communications technology (ICT) service to secondary schools throughout the Borough. Under the first phase of the BSF programme, the LEP entered into a PFI contract for two secondary schools in the Borough and the provision of managed ICT services at a further 5 schools.