Badly designed schools to be halted in their tracks

Schools minister Jim Knight has announced a new minimum design standard for Building Schools for the Future (BSF). Designs falling short of the standard will not get built, and taxpayers will be guaranteed value for money from the government’s investment in BSF.

The minister considers the minimum design standard to be fundamental to BSF’s long-term success. ‘This is the first time ever that independently assessed, clear, objective and robust design standards have been laid down for a public sector building construction programme,’ he said. ‘It adds real teeth to the design process. It will make the design process faster and more efficient by promoting best practice and thinking in school design.’

Designs for BSF schools will continue to be assessed by CABE’s schools design panel. Only designs graded as ‘very good’ or ‘pass’ will be able to proceed through procurement and into construction. Designs graded ‘unsatisfactory’ or ‘poor’ at their final review will not go forward.

CABE first called for a minimum design standard in 2006, and has worked with the Department for Children, Schools and Families and Partnerships for Schools to make it a reality. CABE believes that the minimum design standard will have a longer-term impact on the quality of our schools than almost any other educational reform.

The minimum design standard is an opportunity, not an obstacle. ‘Eighty-seven per cent of the BSF schemes that have returned to the schools design panel for a second review have improved. So we know design review works,’ says Richard Simmons, CABE’s chief executive. ‘Put that together with all the other support CABE is providing to local authorities and bidding teams, and the introduction of a very clear minimum standard, and there is every opportunity to get it right sooner and more easily’.

There is now additional support for BSF bidding teams to help them develop successful secondary schools, whether new-build, remodelled or refurbished. Successful school design, a new web resource, draws on the experience of CABE’s schools design panel. It explains how the panel works, the issues to consider when designing secondary schools, and how to present schemes effectively. It features good practice examples from real proposals and a plan viewer allowing detailed scrutiny of each scheme. 

Where schools are leading the way with a minimum design standard, health centres, police stations, job centres, railway stations and many others will follow. The government’s new strategy for improving quality of place, World Class Places, has announced the government’s commitment to a minimum design standard for all new public building programmes.