§ Mr. Doug HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what brief the architects commissioned to produce designs for 21st century schools, as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme, were given with regard to sports and physical activity. [159864]
§ Mr. MilibandThe exemplar designs allowed for a variety of sites and school sizes for 4 to 11 primary schools, 11 to 18 secondary schools and 4 to 18 all-through school.
The design briefs for the exemplar designs included:
minimum indoor sports provision of a one-court sports hall and a small activity studio for primary pupils;minimum indoor sports provision of a four-court sports hall, a main hall and an activity studio for secondary pupils;minimum outdoor facilities (even in the most constrained sites) of a hard surfaced multi-use games area, as well as pitches for summer and winter games and an all weather pitch where the site demanded it.Sports halls and multi-use games area were required to conform to the minimum dimensions and specifications required by Sports England for community use. All this provision and its ancillary accommodation was to be located appropriately to be available to the community outside the school day.
§ Mr. Doug HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what consultations have been made with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regarding the Building Schools for the Future programme to ensure that schools have the capacity to increase sporting activity. [159865]
§ Mr. MilibandThere have been a number of positive discussions both at official and ministerial level, about how we can ensure synergy of our capital resources in order to maximise them and to deliver the national strategy to improve schools' PE and Sports facilities. Our aim is that following BSF investment all secondary schools will have sports facilities suitable for wider community use.
§ Mr. Doug HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what share of the £5.1 billion capital investment for Building Schools for the Future is allocated for sports and physical activity resources. [159868]
§ Mr. MilibandThis Government gives great priority to the physical and recreational needs of our children as well as their academic needs.
1382WCentral Government capital funding for school buildings in 2005–06 is over £5.1 billion, including over £2 billion allocated to the first wave of Building Schools for the Future (BSF). BSF aims to transform secondary schools so that they are fit for the teaching and learning needs of the 21st century, including for sports and physical activity. Decisions on investment will be made locally by the authorities which have been allocated funding as they develop their projects, in line with their priorities which will reflect local need and government policies. In time, all secondary schools in England will benefit from BSF.
The balance of capital funding, of about £3 billion in 2005–06, is mainly allocated to schools and authorities by formula, so that they can make investment decisions locally, in line with the priorities of their asset management plan.
§ James PurnellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, which schools which have benefited from the Building Schools for the Future programme open up their sports facilities to the wider community out-of-hours. [159871]
§ Mr. MilibandThe Building Schools for the Future programme aims to transform secondary provision over a 10–15 year period starting in 2005–06, subject to future spending decisions. Therefore no schools have yet benefited from the programme. Local authorities to be included in the first wave of projects were announced on 12 February. Over the coming months they will be developing their plans in association with their schools and other local partners. Our aim is that following BSF investment all secondary schools will have sports facilities suitable for wider community use.