First two teams selected for 400 new BSF academies

BDP and Napper Architects are part of the first two teams to be selected to provide the first of 400 new academies under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

Napper Architects will be giving design advice to Balfour Beatty, which will be building three new academies in Sunderland, while BDP has teamed up with Kier Group to deliver the new Milton Keynes Academy.

The two schemes are the first to reach this stage since Partnership for Schools (PfS) launched its design-and-build national framework in January 2007, which was introduced to streamline and accelerate the academies programme. Previously, BSF had been used solely to procure secondary schools.

Chief executive of PfS Tim Byles said: 'The new academies are excellent news for Milton Keynes and for Sunderland, providing facilities and resources which students, teachers and the local community deserve, and helping to improve the life chances for young people in these areas for generations to come.

'The PfS National Framework was created to help local authorities and sponsors to design and deliver their academies in the most cost-effective and efficient way, providing best value for money for taxpayers and educational transformation for communities.'

The 1,550-pupil Milton Keynes Academy is expected to open in September 2009, and the Sunderland academies are due to open between September 2008 and December 2009.