How to make money from schools...

Quotes from an article that appeared in The Herald newspaper

Havelock sees rewards of PFI in schools

Havelock Europa increased profits by 14% in the first half, helped by strong growth in its educational fittings business, which it expects to benefit from a surge in government spending on schools for years to come.

An increase in revenues from £40.3m to £42.1m, which was entirely attributable to the educational division following a big increase in spending by the Scottish Executive on school improvement projects under the private finance initiative (PFI).

Whereas the executive laid out around £190m on school PFI projects under phase one of its schools improvement programme in 2002-03, spending topped £280m in the latest year.

He expects spending to rise to £715m in Scotland in 2007-08

However, in both cases Balfour was pleased that Havelock Europa had won new business from firms such as Marks & Spencer.

Costs rise - date slips...

The building hasn't started yet!

£100million becomes £125million

Completion date now mid- 2009

Amec appointed preferred bidder for £125m East Dunbartonshire PPP schools project

The Amec-led InspirED consortium has been appointed preferred bidder by East Dunbartonshire Council for its £125m PPP schools project, as tipped by Contract Journal (9 August).

The consortium, which also includes John Laing and Innisfree, will deliver six new secondary schools and provide estate management services for 30 years.

Financial close is targeted for December 2006, with construction work beginning immediately afterwards. Completion is expected in mid-2009.

More from Contract Journal.

Parent consultation and the High School Board

Below is a letter I received from a past member of the Bishopbriggs High School Board that clears up any criticism about parent consultation. You will read that right up until the council meeting the board believed that the new school would be built on the High School site and that parents had agreed to this. It was the council who went against this selection...

Dear James

I have been looking at your web site and felt that I should respond to the comments of your anonymous contributor about the School Board. While I would accept that the Board might have done some things differently, I feel that the following points are valid:-

(1) as you know, when the proposal to build a new school was first mooted the unanimous view of the Bishopbriggs High School Board was that it should be built on the High School site. The Board did not consider that it was necessary to consult parents at that time since the Council was committed to a wideranging consultation which included parents of pupils attending the High School. The result of this consultation confirmed that the Board's decision reflected the parents' views.

(2) the Board's view did not change but, as you know, the Board ceased meeting as a separate entity following the establishment of the Interim Board and before the Council indicated that the builders had submitted proposals to build at the Thomas Muir site.

(3) as a result of the builders' proposals the Council told the Interim Board that it was required to undertake a further consultation. At that time I stated that I could see little point in a further consultation when the Council was unable to provide any information on the perceived educational advantages of the Thomas Muir site and I certainly would not have considered that there would have been any point in the Interim Board consulting with parents at that time.

(4) my recollection of the position taken by the Interim Board at that time was that if it could be shown that a school built on the Thomas Muir site would provide a better learning and teaching environment than one built on the High School site then that would be their preferred option. However the Interim Board members did not have the detailed information to enable them to reach a final decision and, accordingly, I think it was inappropriate for Councils members or officials to claim in early July that the Interim Board supported their decision.

(5) clearly, like yourself, I have no information on what discussions took place at the meeting of the Interim Board held after the Council made its decision and following receipt of detailed information on the perceived educational advantages of the Thomas Muir site but, I assume that, if they are supporting the Council's decision, they have confirmed with the head teacher and the staff members that a school at the Thomas Muir site will provide the better learning and teaching environment.

I would also like to make the following more general points:-

(1) while the Bishopbriggs High School Board did not consult with parents on the site of the new school, the Board did consult with parents on whether, in the event that the new school was to be built on the High School site, they would want their children to continue to be taught in the High School or decanted elsewhere. From approximately 1000 letters issued only around 200 replies were received.

(2) all parents of pupils attending Bishopbriggs High School in August 2005, between 1500 and 1700 I would guess, had the opportunity to stand for election to the School Board in November 2005 when 3 vacancies for parent members had to be filled. In the event only 3 nominations were received. In these circumstances I think that it is unfair that those who were prepared to serve on the Board and support the School should be subjected to criticism.

I agree with every point and would like to personally thank the contributor for this letter.

Who would have believed it?

John Morrison - has asked teams to look at proposals to regenerate town
centre taking into account Academy site once moved.

Shame they couldn't have done the same with Churchill Way and we may have had something worthwhile in the way of shops.

Tom Dibble said:

I think that on old Bishopbriggs High site most folk would like a Marks and Spencer

Visitor comment: Do these folk live in cloud cuckoo land what did consultation ask for?

What did petition ask for when M&S was first mooted?

Why are there empty units at RETAIL park?

Read the Bishopbriggs Hearld story 'Masterplan for town centre'.

The grand plan many want to consider the following.

* How many shops are lying empty?
* What impact on trade will moving 1200 people from the town centre create?
* Why was Churchill Way shopping demolished and turned into flats?
*Why have premises in Cross Court remained empty for almost a year?
The town centre has more than one - charity shop, pub, restaurant, bookmaker, travel agent, etc.

Will the council ask what the people want - then ignore them?

Remember: Marks and Spencer don't build shops, they rely on developers to create premises for them.

Friday 13th October's getting closer

Three weeks to go until the October holiday and just one week later the huts will be in place and Bishopbriggs Academy will be one school. As promised, everything will be up and running and finally the teaching staff can concentrate on teaching.

No more 15 minute breaks and busing of teaching staff one school until 2009 when the new Academy opens.

Results are in...

East Dunbartonshire came top in Scotland in terms of Standard Grades benchmark, with 89% of its pupils passing five at general level or above.

33% of pupils achieved the benchmark of three or more Highers placing East Dunbartonshire, second best, in pupil achievement in Scotland.

School exams performance fell in more than half of Scotland's local authorities last year, despite recent massive increases in education spending. Nineteen of Scotland's 32 councils had worse year-on-year results in the benchmark category

Now over a thousand regular visitors...

Thanks, figures show that this sites has over 1,000 regular visitors per week - and growing!

It's fantastic that so many are interested in why the council went against public opinion and voted to build the new school on the Thomas Muir site.

In just over a month this site has attracted over 10,000 visitors!

Thank you all for your support...

Keep visiting for the latest on the Bishopbriggs High story - gone but not forgotten...

Artists impression of new school...

The Woodhill Residents site now carries an artists impression of how close the new school is proposed to be built to home on Torr Road.

You can see for yourself here

Eric v Donald

The following two letters have appeared in recent editions of the Bishopbriggs Herald.

The first letter is from Councillor Gotts - where he states that the interim school board of Bishopbriggs Academy agreed with the council decision to site the new school on the Thomas Muir campus. 'Agreed' before the council made the decision! I have contacted Councillor Gotts regarding this statement - I am still waiting for a reply. (see earlier posts)


His letter...

East Dunbartonshire Council

I am puzzled that Donald Macdonald, the chairperson of Woodhill Residents' Group, according to statements attributed to him in a recent article in the Herald, still fails to appreciate the educational benefits of Bishopbriggs Academy being built on the Thornas Muir site.
The Supporting paper enclosed in the letter from the Head of Education, sent to every household with children at Bishopbriggs Academy and its feeder primaries, made it abundantly clear what the educational benefits are.
Those benefits include more space in the corridors for pupil movement, more natural light in classrooms, safe social areas for pupils, better outdoor space and games area and better circulation routes avoiding congestion at period changes and giving more teaching time for teachers and pupils.
It is all these enhanced aspects which contribute to the ethos and success of a modern school, creating an environment which will allow and encourage learning and teaching.
It is the topography of the Thomas Muir site which allows for a school design that matches the educational standards of the other new build schools.
This explains why both teaching unions, the interim school board of Bishopbriggs Academy and most of the associated primary school boards support the council's decision.
Parents have also been made aware of the fact that it would have been more disruptive for the continuity of education during the two year building period if the Bishopbriggs High site had been chosen.
This is because the new build would have been on the existing playing fields, with very little space for pupii movement on the rest of the site.
I am, however, pleased to hear that Mr Macdonald wants to "engage in a positive dialogue with the council regarding the final plans of the school".
As educational convener, I want the best learning environment for pupils in our schools and best teaching facilities for staff.
I hope that Mr Macdonald shares that vision.

Councillor Eric Gotts
East Dunbartonshlre Council

Here is Donald Macdonald, chairperson of the Woodhill Residents reply...

Dear Sir

Following on from Councillor Eric Gotts letter printed on 23rd August, I am as puzzled about the so called 'Educational Benefits' of the Thomas Muir site as he clearly is about the widespread opposition in Bishopbriggs to this decision made by councillors who predominantly represent Bearsden and Milngavie.

Having read the full papers presented to councillors prior to the 'secret' meeting on 26th June, most of the benefits stated are not educational and some are just downright preposterous. Your readers can view these papers by logging on to woodhill residents web site.

However I feel that some of Eric's assertions require to be countered. Because the Thomas Muir building will be occupied by pupils from St Ninians when the new Academy is built, the design of the school has been compromised to fit into the L-shape of the existing playing fields.
Most people will have assumed that the school would be built on the existing footprint of Thomas Muir, not less than 30 metres from the back doors of houses on Torr Road. And when St Ninians move out in two years time, builders will have to flatten the hill where the school used to be to create playing fields, and take away playing space recently given to Woodhill Primary.

On the papers given to Councillors there is no mention of the Interim School Board supporting the council decision from the consultation returns, mainly because the decision had not been taken, and the papers state clearly that the Board still required proof of the benefits. Perhaps the Board when it next meets could reassure parents in Bishopbriggs that it can see the benefits no one else can.

Eric's concern for Bishopbriggs pupils enduring a building site outside their classroom is indeed laudable. He seems to have no such qualms for the pupils of Douglas Academy or Bearsden Academy. But then there are no other cheaper sites available in Bearsden and Milngavie unlike Bishopbriggs, where builders are proposing a mixed residential and RETAIL development for the Town Centre site. We can only hope the congestion predicted for the area if the Academy had been built there will not affect planning permission for any upmarket clothing and food retailer who might be interested in opening up in Bishopbriggs!

Eric should take a good hard look at appendix C8c of the 80 page document he and his colleagues were supposed to have read before voting for the Builders proposition for Bishopbriggs. It clearly states that the Bishopbriggs site would be at the 'heart of the community', but that this is not an educational benefit. I always believed that the Liberal Democrats were strong supporters of Community, but then the current administration are not particularly liberal and certainly not democratic.

Eric will know from my recent involvement in the School Board Forum that I have best interests of pupils AND parents at heart. All the Woodhill Residents have ever asked about the builders proposals is 'WHY?'. Perhaps this is a question that will be answered when we finally have our promised meeting with Eric's boss Councillor Morrison.

Thanks to Donald Macdonald for allowing the publishing of his letter on this site. You can view the Woodhill Residents site here

Council documents...

The Woodhill Residents group have published more documents relating to the council's decision to go against public opinion and build Bishopbriggs Academy on the Thomas Muir site.

Read the documents here.

Become a councillor...

The Scottish Executive are looking to recruit more local councillors ahead of next year's elections on 3rd May.

Here's some of the attributes they would like you to have

"to be a committed and focussed approach to serving their community and looking after the interests of the people living there."

"with their influence touching everything from our children's education, to ensuring our bins are emptied"

Maybe you should decide if the present councillors meet these requirements before voting for them next year.

Not yet though!

As you can see, unfortunately their web site is not active at time of writing...

Save the trees... + Bishopbriggs pollution on the increase.

18 A4 sheets, 3 envelopes, 90p postage...

East Dunbartonshire Council are striving to increase community recycling... that's the reason your bin may not be emptied as often...

Why then did I receive three letters all addressed identically and containing the exact same information?

Eighteen sheets of A4 paper, three envelopes, 90p postage, triplicating what could have been sent only once (mail merge?).

The headteacher and staff are doing a great job I would like to thank them.
It's great that parents are being informed on the progress made with the amalgamation and timetable.

But why three copies? Are the council trying to fill the recycling bins faster?

On a similar note, air pollution in Bishopbriggs is rising...

Air pollution is believed to kill more than 2,000 people in Scotland ever year, while nitrogen dioxide from car exhausts can damage lungs and increase the risk of asthma in children.

Bishopbriggs was also ordered to improve its air quality after raw figures showed nitrogen dioxide concentrations have soared by up to 9mg/m3 in some parts of the town.

More from Scotland on Sunday

The council decided to site the new school where it's more difficult to get to by public transport.

Another winner for the council?

Interim school board legal?

I understand that after the joint school board forum meeting, the council are checking the legal situation of the Bishopbriggs Academy interim school board.

I will let you all know the outcome as soon as I know.

See this...

School board post

This comment was received tonight...

"I for one am looking forward to the forthcoming elections for the Academy School Board. Perhaps then we will get a Board that asks the parents what they want, rather than what the Board themselves want. The site of the new school was the single biggest issue ( after the amalgamation) to affect not only pupils, families and Bishopbriggs for a generation. The fact that the Board made no attempt to canvass the opinion of parents was dereliction of duty and none of them deseve to be re-elected. I think as many parents as possible should stand for election to ensure that no one is elected unopposed and existing members are forced to justify their actions over this decision."

As a previous member of this board I have to admit that more should have been done to include the parents view. But, I also know that not all members of the present board agree with the way this situation has been handled.
School boards are about to be phased out let's hope that parents come forward and have their say...

East Dunbartonshire ignore advice 'they' supplied to the Scottish Executive?

Some quotes from the Scottish Executive document supplied by East Dunbartonshire council on the consultation exercise to survey stakeholder opinion...

"...East Dunbartonshire Council has recently undertaken a consultation exercise to survey stakeholder opinion on how it might proceed with the regeneration of its school estate. The information gathered will be used to develop the plan for the school estate and PPP project."

"Analysis of the questionnaires will provide the views of stakeholders for consideration by the council on how it will address its school estate. The weightings in the option appraisal exercise will be influenced by these results."

"Elected Members consider that the views of stakeholders are crucial to the success of the project."

"This exercise has provided invaluable data that will be used to inform the council's decision-making process and support the direction of future policy."

"The results of the questionnaire have provided the council with a clear evidence-based mandate to proceed with a programme that is supported by a significant proportion of the community."

"The market research company considered this a success; as rates return are normally lower and the council is delighted at the level of response. It provides a significant sample of stakeholder opinion relating to a number of contentious issues."

" Resources allocation will always generate debate and this exercise will inevitably lead to individuals or particular action groups expressing views that oppose decisions reached: this is the nature of a democratic society."

This turned out to be the council themselves.

"Through the consultation process, a significant proportion of the community has had the opportunity to express views with the result that decisions reached should be capable of being shown to relate well to local opinion."

Read the complete text Scottish Executive

PLUS....

East Dunbartonshire win case to witholding information on proposed sale of land on the Bearsden Academy site...

Download and read the pdf document here web version here

A decide if you agree with the decision...

Why the slip to 2009?

From the pfi.net website...

Inspired PPP Decision for East Dunbartonshire

East Dunbartonshire Council have announced the preferred bidder for its £100m PPP schools project. Council Leader, John Morrison announced that inspirED, the consortium led by the AMEC Group, has been chosen to take forward the £100m schools PPP project to build six brand new schools for pupils in East Dunbartonshire by the end of 2008.

Councillor John Morrison:

"... I believe that we will take parents with us as the outcome is fair and equitable"

Councillor Eric Gotts:

"...In a very short time our young people will be learning in modern buildings"

"I firmly believe that the designs and locations that have been selected represent the very best educational solution for all six school communities"

Read it all here

£758,000 to help revamp schools

East Dunbartonshires share of the £30m Scotland wide package announced by Education Minister Peter Peacock during a visit to a school in Glasgow.

Mr Peacock said...

"The new generation of PPP-funded schools are offering some of the most advanced learning environments in the world. "This extra money will help upgrade and modernise facilities in our other schools."

Glasgow schools will get an extra £3.1million

Other areas getting cash include...

East Ayrshire - £734,000
East Dunbartonshire - £758,000
East Renfrewshire - £602,000
Inverclyde - £571,000
North Ayrshire - £835,000
North Lanarkshire - £2.15m
Renfrewshire - £1.03m
South Ayrshire - 703,000
South Lanarkshire - £1.92m
West Dunbartonshire - £610,000.

What will East Dunbartonshire do with it's £758,000?
When I find out - you'll find the answer here.

It fits.. on the high school site

And the sports hall remains!

This overlay shows the footprint of the proposed Bishopbriggs Academy on the Bishopbriggs High School site.

NOTE: The sports hall remains (shiny object) and the sports fields could be used. No waiting for demolition, flattening and other necessary work that will be required at the Thomas Muir site.

All that needed to be done was demolish the existing school and build the new one in it's place. The pupils could have use the Thomas Muir school.
Unfortunatly it will being used by another school, St Ninnian's, thus allowing them to have their school built on it's footprint.


They built on that footprint before why not now?

September PPP newsletter available...

This is the only school that you can see part of - why?

The September edition of the PPP newsletter provides an update on...

School Designs
Project Evaluation
Council recommendation to the Scottish Executive
Access to School Designs
Project Timeline

You can download a copy here from the council website.

If you look carefully some cracks have started to appear in the council objections to the high school site -

Problems with the Bishopbriggs High site included 'it's on a slop'.

Look carefully at the drawing in the newsletter - both Bearsden Academy and Douglas Academy are to be built on slopes. No problem there then.

The design for the 'pronged' design on the high school site provide difficult to manage.

Check the St Ninian's design it is almost identical to the rejected design at the high school. Again, not a problem it would seem.

We can only see part of the Bishopbriggs Academy (referred to as the 'Bishopbriggs School' on the opening page).
Why? when you can see all of the other schools.

Note the paragraph on the Bishopbriggs Academy build...

"...we hope to consolidate the school on the present Bishopbriggs High site"

Did the council not promise it would be complete after the October break?

Has Bishopbriggs lost out again?

Proposed site

As you can see from the above 'footprint' of the proposed Bishopbriggs Academy it fits neatly into the area of the pitches on the Thomas Muir site.

Why does this have to be?

With two sites and one school being built in Bishopbriggs and ALL the pupils using the Bishopbriggs High campus during the build.

Why not knock down Thomas Muir and built the new school where the old one was sited?

Because the bidders need to use the Thomas Muir school to allow them to knock down a school in Kirkintilloch that WILL be built on it's own footprint.

That's the only way they could complete the project in the reduced time scale they offered the council.

Are they now saying that the present school is not on the best position for a school on this site?
Then why did they built it there in the first place?

New school on existing footprint

This decision has again angered residents who will now live in the 'shadow' of the new school where once they had views of the Campsies.

Have the people of Bishopbriggs lost out again?

Not only the site of the school but the position of the school on that site is now being questioned.

Will the council take the residents considerations into account? - I wouldn't hold my breath!

A spokesperson for the council said...

"Matters of detail will now be addressed... local people will be able to make representations on the planning application for the new school building once it has been submitted"

You can check recent planning applications on the council web site here

Thank you all...

The number of visitors to this site continues to rise - daily...

Please tell your friends, neighbours, fellow pupils, mums, dads, grand parents, aunts, uncles, teachers and councillors (although I think they know) and anyone that can read, that it's here and please continue to leave comments.

It takes a lot of work, let's hope at least one child in Bishopbriggs gets a better education because of it!

And as one of the 'unhappy few' as the 'anonymous' writer in the Bishopbriggs Herald letter section put it.

The 'unhappy few' speak for the majority of the people that were consulted and chose the Bishopbriggs High site as their preferred option - THAT'S A FACT.

But then I do have the guts to put my name on every post, I don't hide behind anonymous letter writing.

Firms criticise education system

Business leaders have warned that there are "clear weaknesses" in Scotland's education system.

"The quality of performance of local authorities...
...varies across the country and we desperately need to achieve consistency based on the standards set by the best, not the average."

Full story on the BBC web site

Morrison versus Swinson

The elections are eight months away and they are already under pressure due to the controversial fortnightly refuse collection scheme.

Swinson...

"I disagree with the decision to site the new school on the Thomas Muir site"

Morrison...

"She is the new MP and lacks experience in many key areas"

Swinson...

"the views of local people in favour of the Bishopbriggs High site, would have weighed more heavily"

Morrison...

"She is also not responsible for Scottish education as an MP"

MP Jo Swinson is the Lib Dems' Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland

John Morrison is leader of East Dunbartonshire council

Here's how the Bishopbriggs Herald reported the fight...

full story here

"It's fair enough to say that we disagree in this matter."
- Jo Swinson

"Jo Swinson lacks experience in many key areas" - John Morrison

In a remarkable comment John Morrison said about his Lib Dem colleague -

"She is, of course, the new MP and lacks experience in many areas."

Jo Swinson is 'slapped down' in an interview with The Herald. He again repeated that the councillors took the decision and are accountable for it!

A Liberal Democrat council head has slapped down his party's Scottish leader at Westminster over a schools row, saying she is showing inexperience and should not interfere in education issues.
John Morrison, leader of East Dunbartonshire Council, was responding to the opposition of Jo Swinson, the area's MP and front-bench spokeswoman on Scotland, to a council decision over the site of a merged school.
Thomas Muir High is to be joined with Bishopbriggs High School as part of a £100m private-public finance project affecting six schools.
Parents at both schools have sought to have the new school, named Bishopbriggs Academy, built on one or other of the current sites - Bishopbriggs High in the town centre and Thomas Muir on its outskirts.
The council's recent decision to place it at the Thomas Muir site has angered those on the losing side, who have gained the backing of Ms Swinson.
Responding to her reported comments, John Morrison yesterday said: "She is, of course, the new MP and lacks experience in many key areas. She is also not responsible for Scottish education as an MP, as it is a devolved matter for the Scottish Parliament. The 12 Liberal Democrat councillors took the decision they did, weighing up the educational benefits of the competing sites and are, of course, accountable for that decision, which Ms Swinson is not.
"The decision we took will have to stand the test of time. I'm sure that, given time, Jo Swinson will realise the benefits of the Thomas Muir site."
Ms Swinson said last night: "I've made my views clear to the constituents who asked me about this. I'm well aware it's not an issue I've got any jurisdiction over, but when my constituents ask my opinion on something, I have a responsibility to tell them what I think."

The council were voted in to represent the best interests of their constituents, have they done this? Did they make the correct decision for the right reasons?

Did the council listen to people of Bishopbriggs - No.
Does their leader listen to his MP colleague - No.
Why should be believe them when they say they made this decision for the RIGHT reasons?

Read the rest of this site then YOU decide.

Thomas Muir pupils send home for dry clothes...

Reports reaching this site suggest that on Friday pupils, visiting shops at Woodhill during a break, were soaked to the skin.

Some changed into their Gym kit while others were allowed to call home for replacement clothes others were sent home - see comments.

If you have any further information please use the comment option below.