Explain the BSF "managed service" situation to me

[dgsmith]

I've been aware for some time that BSF exists, but thought it was mainly related to the contruction, upgrading and extending of schools around the country. Now, through some reading on these forums over the past week, it seems to be alot more than what I had previously thought. Many of you seem to be much more aware of the situation for IT technicians and professionals, about a managed company taking control of ICT within schools and everything that is associated with this - we had no idea.

We're based in West lancs and many of you who are also from Lancashire I have read comments from stating your future involvement with the whole situation.

 

It seems I have been ignorant of what may happen, and I can't believe I have neither read about it nor been told by anyone in school about the situation as it stands. Is this affecting new schools only, or all schools across the country (per county), whether they are being rebuilt or not? How could something as big as this be something which all of you here are aware of, and we haven't been? Those of you in Lancashire in particular (as it's closer to home and would be under the same "company"), are your schools which are being "managed" at some point in the future being rebuilt, or simply just an ordinary secondary school like ourself?

 

If someone wants to also point me in the direction of some useful and official publications on the matter, it'd be appreciated.

[Geoff]

There's generic information available from TeacherNet

 

http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/resourcesfinanceandbuilding/bsf/

 

Specific information from Lancashire can be read here:

 

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/education/bsf/

 

The ICT contract for the phase one schools in Lancashire (Burnley basically) has been won by Redstone.

 

http://www.redstone.co.uk/

[broc]

Many of the schools not involved in the early waves of BSF have adopted a 'head in the sand' attitude towards BSF. There may be some justification in this as many have expressed a view that by the time they get round to looking at their school the whole thing will have changed/failed whatever and be different anyway.

 

I know that all Head Teachers in my LA were invited to attend a BSF briefing even if their schools were not part of the initial wave, not all bothered to attend.

 

Every LA in England was invited to bid for BSF funding. Each LA proposed a list of schools that were to benefit from BSF. Some schools are to be rebuilt, some are refurbished. Some LAs are rolling Academies into the BSF process too.

Edited March 12, 2008 by broc

[Grommit]

................... Edited March 14, 2008 by Grommit

[dgsmith]

Well, not everyone has been told about what is happening Grommit; given we probably wont be affected until some years yet, I suppose noone thought we needed to know, and it isn't exactly broadcast everywhere.

[Grommit]

Well, not everyone has been told about what is happening Grommit; given we probably wont be affected until some years yet, I suppose noone thought we needed to know, and it isn't exactly broadcast everywhere.

 

 

I just edited my post because I couldn't delete it...