BSF news
The latest news for Lambeth's BSF programme.
Lambeth students provide design ideas for Building Schools for the Future
Getting design right means listening to the people who will use it. Over the course of Spring 2008 the 'Joinedupdesignforschools' programme from The Sorrell Foundation have worked with four schools in Lambeth Building Schools for the Future Phase 2 to make sure students’ voices feed into the design of their schools. Read more about the workshop.
BSF Building update – Phase 1
There are a total of five schools involved in building works as a part of Phase 1 of the Lambeth BSF programme. A short update on each is below:
The Michael Tippett School
The school opened in February 2008, to a very positive reaction from both students and staff. An formal opening event with Partnerships for Schools and the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, the Rt Hon Ed Balls MP was held on 3 April 2008. A special video was produced which can currently be viewed at the Partnership for Schools website.
The Elm Court School
Construction is progressing well on the new Elm Court School site in Elm Park Road, SW2. The site includes the refurbishment of the old Edwardian building which was formally the Lambeth Institute, together with the construction of two new buildings for sport and music/drama. Refurbishment of the roof structure and the internal alterations are nearing completion and fit-out is due to commence shortly.
The Park Campus School
Park Campus is due to open in late 2008 on a new site in Gypsy Road, West Norwood. The main buildings have been erected and fit out of the internal accommodation has commenced.
The Elmgreen School
The school, which opened on an interim site in Gypsy Road in 2007, will move to Elm Court Road in 2009. The new site previously housed Park Campus and The Michael Tippett school, and until December 2008 houses Elm Court school. The piling and foundations are completed and the ground floor slab is well under construction. A tower crane has been erected in preparation for constructing the superstructure.
The Stockwell Park High School
Construction of the new building at Stockwell Park High School has been split into two phases. Work on the first phase has commenced; with the ground floor slabs already completed. The tower crane was erected in May and the external walls and cladding will commence shortly.
Construction partners for Phase 1
- Apollo Education - The Michael Tippett School, The Elm Court School, The Park Campus
- Carillion - The Elmgreen School
- Willmott Dixon - Stockwell Park High School
- RM – Information and Communication Technology
New start for special needs students in lambeth
'Lambeth is an exemplary BSF borough..' so says Tims Byles, Chief Executive of Partnership for Schools as he congratulated Lambeth at the opening of The Michael Tippett School, the first school in London to be completely rebuilt under the BSF programme and the first BSF SEN school in the country. Lambeth's BSF team has set the benchmark for high quality and innovation in delivering a BSF programme.
Students and staff from the school got a chance to show the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, the Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, around their state-of-the-art school when he officially opened the new building on Heron Road SE24 on 3 April.
The event was attended by students, parents and school staff. In addition, representatives were there from the organisations and companies that worked together to make sure that the school was built on time, on budget and quality.
The Rt Hon Ed Balls, held a private meeting with some of these representatives and with senior leaders from Lambeth, to discuss the success of the project. Before being given a tour of the building, the minister spent time talking to the students, especially Matthew, the young man who had his 18th birthday on the same day.
Speakers at the ceremony included:
- Ed Balls - Secretary of State for Education
- Tim Byles – Chief Executive, Partnership for School
- Steve Reed - Leader, Lambeth Council
- Jan Stogdon - Headteacher, The Michael Tippett School
The school, which has been operating on the new site in Herne Hill, London, since February, brings together students and staff who were previously located on two separate sites in Kennington and Norwood.
Designed by Marks Barfield, who were also architects for the London Eye, and built by Apollo Education, The Michael Tippett School provides a learning environment for around 80 pupils aged between 11 and 18 with profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every aspect has been designed specifically for the needs of the students, with features including a sensory room and garden, hydrotherapy pool, spacious changing facilities, kitchen to develop basic cooking skills, drama studio, and a community hall for sports and social activities.
Headteacher Jan Stogdon said the students were already responding positively to their new learning environment. She added: ”For many of our students communication is a real challenge, and they can find it hard to adapt to changes to where they learn and how they learn. The input that students and staff have had throughout the design and construction process has helped our students understand the transition to a different site. We have all been amazed by how quickly the students have settled in to their new surroundings and how excited they are by the new facilities on offer.”
View past news stories.