"It's not about just buildings," says Hannah Jones, director of the National College for School Leadership BSF courses for school leaders. "Schools need to look first at learning, pedagogy and curriculum organisation and the changing role of our workforce."
The BSF leadership programme, running since 2006 in 35 local authorities, introduces school leaders to new possibilities in structuring their workforce. "BSF has proved the catalyst for the best discussions we've ever had on the organisation of learning," says Mike Chapman, headteacher at High Storrs school, Sheffield, who attended the course last year. (High Storrs is being rebuilt by a consortium led by Taylor Woodrow, with architects Building Design Partnerships and HLM and IT firm Civica.)
The course takes schools through the stages of thinking needed to write the Strategy for Change document required for BSF bids and help them establish if they have the staff capacity to run a major building project without neglecting standards. Senior school leaders get five days' face-to-face training with international experts such as Professor Stephen Heppell of Learn3K in Dublin, or Kenn Fisher from RubidaResearch in Australia, as well as workshops on new ideas. They also receive three days' school support and a dedicated NCSL consultant over two terms.
"At the first residential conference, we help schools think about the shape of their workforce, sharing all sorts of ideas with examples of leading practice," says Jones. "Different schools have explored humanscale education, schools within schools, staggered start-times and extended schools, use of mobile technology — all of which require redesigning how the workforce is structured."
"Strategy for Change helps schools look differently at how teachers work together and with other professionals," says Pat Dubas, head of Samworth enterprise college, Leicester, and on this year's course. "Ours is an extended services school open all year; we employ staff to support the local community. We can't close the school any more."
(Architects Feilden Clegg and Bradley, structural engineers Buro Happold, and IT firms NCC Group and WSP Edunova worked with project manager Capita Symonds, builder Gleeson Building and designers FFE Consultancy on the £20m college.)
To manage BSF effectively, school leadership may need rethinking. NCSL research found one head had to deal with 22 BSF-related meetings in a two-week period. "It may be more cost-effective to employ a good project manager to sort out consultation and contractors than to run leaders ragged," says Jones.
Rejigging leadership entails succession planning. After the course in 2006, Paul Mortimer at Hillingdon school, Oldham, promoted his deputy to run the school day-to-day. Curriculum changes, from 14-19 diplomas to evolving ICT, also demand innovations. "It's about adding a new range of skill sets that will match our needs in three years' time," says Steve Gater, head at Walker technology college, Newcastle, who teaches on the BSF course. "We have an RE teacher who's retrained in hair and beauty for the vocational diploma. We're using people with professional skills to develop courses and support teachers and pupils on- and off -site."
As Hannah Jones says: "Think about people first, then buildings."
(At Walker college, newly appointed consortium Aura comprises construction firm Sir Robert McAlpine, architects and engineers Parsons Brinckerhoff and project managers Robertson Capital Projects.)
Webinks
Courses for school leaders: ncsl.org.uk
Learning environment design: rubida.net
International perspectives on designing learning spaces: http://l3k.info
Taylor Woodrow: taylorwoodrow.com
Capita Symonds: capitasymonds.co.uk
McAlpine: sir-robert-mcalpine.com
