ROBOCOP

Looks like this project will be lucky to even get the sample schools built judging by recent news. 3 years work by the LA and school teams down the drain and a heap of money that could have been directly invested in the schools instead of being blown by the LA on consultants, lawyers and accountants.

I wonder what happens if the Government scrap BSF?

Construction News says RM and Balfour Beatty have won Derby BSF.

Apparently Northgate and Balfour Beatty have won Oldham BSF. Anyone else heard this?

Ahh, that explains a lot. Being able to opt out is pretty rare - are you going to be an Academy or just a refurb?

Depends upon your point of view and if you are due to TUPE - most members here seem to have a very different opinion of BSF and will be overjoyed if it is scrapped. Tell us you're still a 'BSF survivor' in a few years time.

Hmm, I don't think everyone here will agree with your opinion.

That was speculation printed nearly 2 weeks ago and there's still be no official line from the Government on what exactly is going to happen. There may be some news in the emergency budget next week but suspect the actual fate of BSF and many schools currently in the middle of the process won't be discovered until after the Government summer recess in early Autumn.

He doesn't know anymore than anyone else which is pretty much zero at the moment so he shouldn't really be offering his opinion to his staff - that said he's probaly right though

You've hit the nail on the head there Broc.

I'm not gloating, just telling people to not get too excited about the prospect of BSF being scrapped without thinking through what the impact or alternatives may be. What school do you work in that's had proper ICT investemnent and a 5 and 10 year planned strategy in place??? We have to bid every year for evey penny we can get in a budget and then it's usually taken back!

I think you will be ok for the sample schools at least (they are the only schools which the first Financial Close covers) but the following planned phases may be in doubt. I think the Times article wasn't quite correct now I look at it again - I believe only new projects which got Treasury PRG approval to go to market after 1/1/2010 and those projects not yet reached Financial Close are being reviewed. If the Government cancels projects where Financial Close has been reached they will have to award compensation as they are terminating signed and legally binding contracts - this could run to tens if not hundreds of millions especially if the LAs/Schools sue for compensation too.

Sorry - I didn't see that he had edited his reply and didn't read the original which I see from your reply said "it's being scrapped" which I agree is far from confirmed. Will be interesting to hear from everyone involved in BSFs (either being planned, bidding, at selected bidder or in sample schemes in construction) what's happening with them.

I think the Tories have slagged off BSF so much that they cannot do anything else but scrap it however I suspect they will just re-introduce PFIs (which after all they invented) to finance all the new Academies which they want. At least PFIs don't generally include ICT or getting the private sector embroiled in delivering education which BSF did.

Sorry but JPS was perfectly correct in what he stated - the Treasury is performing a review of all planned spending and this includes recent BSFs. The Times have reported "The government is to review all BSF contracts signed after 1 January. Some £2.2bn of contracts have been finalised since then to build 118 new schools, with a further £1.3bn of deals, for 58 schools, having reached selected bidder stage". Also see recent new thread on North-East BSFs. All Wave 4 and Wave 5 BSFs (or subesquent phases) which have not reached Financial Close are to be reviewed and it is at both Local Authorities and bidders risk if they decide to continue with bidding/negotiations whilst the outcome of the review is awaited - this outcome not likely until Autumn 2010 hence many LAs (e.g. Kent) have decide to stop incurring any more spend until they have firm guidance from PfS or the Treasury.

Visit home I'd also try to arrange to see the new Academies at Knowsley which won many awards for inspitrational design (may not be to everyones taste though) or some of the new Academies at Sunderland which also won a number of awards. Also see work of Professor Stephen Heppell learning • ingenuity • research • policy • design • technology • delight • (+ sailing!)

I wouldn't get too gung-ho about BSF being scrapped - if it is then millions of pounds spent by the various Local Authorities and Schools in the lead up to the bididng process will be lost, budgets will be cut to make up for the losses (in addition to the cuts the Government are going to impose on everyone) and there will be no chance of buidlings being replaced or refurbished, any new ICT kit for many years and very little job security for ICT staff. Working as a public sector employee is going to be a vary precarious place to be over the next few years as chops will be made - at least the private sector who already are guaranteed to be paid for exisitng BSF contracts will be under less pressure to make cuts.

I've heard a rumour that Morgan Sindall are on the verge of pulling out of the Hull BSF as they can't agree contractual terms with Hull CC - anyone else heard anything? Financial Close is certainly overdue.

Apparently the first part of their selection process is a spelling test

It's not the schools ICT contract - the contract is between the Managed Service Provider and the LA with a lesser 'sub-agreement' between the LA and schools which doesn't really have any contractual weight but outlines how each party relates to the other, lines of communication, joint responsibiities and the suchlike. Schools need to realise that if ICT is installed and managed under BSF it is no longer theirs - they are just 'users'. If they choose to retain a load of ex-ICT staff and change their JDs then they need to justify this to the LA (Children and Young People's Services) otherwise they won't get this allowed for in their annual budget and the allowance they used to have to pay them when they did ICT will now be gone and paid direct by the LA to the BSF provider as part of their Unitary Payment. I know I rub people up here the wrong way but believe me I know an awful lot about this and when I say people need to wake up I mean it most sincerely - some of you have been locked in your server rooms too long and coming out with stuff like 'the head will look after me' or 'I didn't take this job to be forced to work to dealines or not do nice little hobbies with the kiddies' shows an appaling lack of reality. Schools cannot opt out of ICT under BSF unless they either turn into D&B Academies or the LA and PfS decide to not go down the traditional LEP procurement route and all schools are procured under NAF which means ICT and FM doesn't have to be included (but still could).

So you think making music in the school choir etc was part of your Strategic IT role and is the reason you are not being TUPE'd? I repeat - GET REAL - it's because your core ICT related parts of your role are not needed by the managed services provider and not that the school desperately needs you as some form of Simon Cowell! If you want to be a music/drama teacher then go and do the training, get qualified and apply for a job but don't think because you work in a school and can sing Westside Story you are part of the teaching team. Let's face it, BSF schools do not need some form of ICT informed client once the schools are built - that's what the Head and his teachers should be. They employ the managed services provider to be the expert and so long as they adhere to the contract (which again they largely self monitor and report) the LA and school doesn't interfere. If a school decides to create such a post they have to fund it themselves and with increasing pressure on school budgets this isn't likely to be a long term solution.

This is the problem - people like you not in the 'real world'. Do you think they want to bring in private sector to invest in more kit and efficient working practices to free up time for IT guys to do other stuff? No - they want to free up time so they can get rid of IT staff and reduce their costs. Doh! And the Strategic IT Manager on here who said he was kept because the stuff he did for the school was too important to let him TUPE - get real. All the stuff you listed in your job description won't be needed when RM get the managed service and have centralised everything you do. They will have said they don't want you - if they accepted you for TUPE and then made you redundant they would pick up your redundancy costs but since they obviously have told the council to keep you they either have to keep paying you to twiddle your thumbs or give you your P45 once RM are nicely settled in. Open your eyes guys!

I'd be careful admitting that if I were you;) So let me get this right - you're an IT Tech and you're concerned that the ICT contractor will want you to spend your time doing ICT related work rather than being an unpaid Teaching Support Assistant? How dare they - whatever next? I suggest a change in career before BSF hits you.

Any news on how it's going in Hull yet? Has RM started staff/union meetings?