The national £45billion ‘Building Schools for the Future’ (BSF) programme is known by a different name in Wigan, but the story remains the same: the biggest single investment in school buildings in 30 years.
And today (Monday 29th September), local councillors from across the borough are finding out first hand about ‘Wigan Schools for the Future’ – ambitious plans to transform educational prospects for future generations of schoolchildren.
Councillors will join education professionals at Haigh Hall to hear more about the staggering £280million investment planned for the borough’s secondary school system and to play an active part in shaping a new era for education.
Internationally-renowned educationalist Richard Gerver will give the keynote speech – ‘A Vision for Education’ – on what for what promises to be a landmark event in the progress of the ‘Wigan Schools for the Future’ programme.
Wigan Council Chief Executive, Joyce Redfearn, and Director of Children and Young People’s Services, Nick Hudson, will the update the gathering on the latest developments in Wigan.
Nick Hudson explains:
“For those of us attending today’s conference, and for anyone who has a stake in the future of education in Wigan borough and who has high hopes for our young people, this is a pivotal moment.
“Undoubtedly our schools are gradually improving, but we now have a once-in-a-generation chance to make a dramatic difference – to deliver 21st century facilities fit for 21st century teaching and learning. And councillors, as democratically-elected representatives of their local communities, can play a vital role in shaping the future.
“280 million pounds is a huge amount of money, but we must spend it wisely – the opportunity won’t come again. Neither will it be enough to rebuild every single one of our 20 secondary schools, but with the number of secondary school pupils expected to fall from the current 21,000 to 17,000 by 2014, £280million will enable us to create enough high-quality secondary school places for generations to come.”
Wigan borough has 20 mainstream secondary schools: 13 community, one voluntary controlled and six voluntary aided.
The government originally placed Wigan in wave 11 of BSF, meaning that funding would not normally be available until 2013. But by joining forces with neighbouring Salford, the council has been able to access the funding earlier and as many as 20,000 extra children will therefore benefit.
