Hull Esteem Consortium reaches brisk financial close

Hull Esteem Consortium, consisting of Sewell Group, Morgan Sindall and Robertson Capital Projects, has reached financial close on the first phase of Hull City Council's £400 million Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme - in just over three months.

Seventeen schools will be delivered through the BSF programme by Hull Esteem Consortium as the city council's local education partnership (LEP), including seven new build schools and 10 remodel or refurbishment projects. The programme will also deliver significant ICT investment across all secondary schools in the city.

Hull Esteem Consortium was appointed as preferred bidder in November 2009 and has achieved financial close in just over three months. The consortium will join Hull City Council and Partnerships for Schools (via Building Schools for the Future Investments) in a brand new LEP, providing project and operational management and new project development services. The LEP will form part of a 10-year exclusive strategic partnering contract.

Construction company Morgan Ashurst is a key delivery partner on the project alongside Hull-based contractor Sewell Construction. The two firms will work with local construction partners Houlton and Hobson & Porter.

Morgan Ashurst has already started construction of the first two new schools in the scheme, worth a total of £71 million. These comprise a £38 million scheme to construct Winifred Holtby and Tweendykes, and a £33 million contract to build the Archbishop Sentamu Academy. Both are scheduled to open in September 2011. The remaining schools are expected to be complete in January 2014.

"We are thrilled to kick-start the Hull BSF," says Gordon Ray, Morgan Ashurst managing director in the North East. "As one of the UK's leading providers of education facilities, we look forward to using all our expertise to deliver inspiring and sustainable learning environments for the community in Hull."

Dr Paul Sewell, Managing Director of Hull-based Sewell Group, said: "This is great news for Hull. The vision and blank canvas we were presented with in 2008 is now taking shape and work can begin on transforming the city's schools. Hull Esteem Consortium will make each of the schools in the BSF programme a beacon allowing for new visual, virtual and physical connectivity throughout the city."

Nigel Richardson, Director of Children's Services at Hull City Council, said: "This is a huge investment in Hull's school buildings which will ensure we have new facilities across the city aimed at transforming teaching and learning in Hull. Although buildings are important, so is good teaching, classroom discipline and a strong school ethos which makes sure the right subjects are being taught. To get this right we are committed to the continuous improvement of learning now for all children. Hull BSF will support this.

"The plan is to have the first new school open by September 2011, with all other secondary schools improved and modernised by September 2013 and all schools in the programme completed by September 2014.

"Working in partnership, we aim to create a real difference and improvement for every child. All future schools will offer first class standards. Schools across the city will work together to help each other to improve. Primary, secondary and post-16 education will be increasingly seamless. High quality teachers will want to stay and come to teach in Hull. Every child will have improved life opportunities. These are our guiding principles."

As well as delivering 17 schools, the LEP will deliver hard facilities management (with the potential to extend to soft facilities management) services and a single Information and Communications Technology management service across the school estate.
Partnership-working will remain at the heart of how Hull, together with the newly formed LEP, will deliver excellence, quality, cost-effectiveness and innovation to truly transform learning.