Sandwell BSF

Environments for Learning

The Challenge
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, located in the West Midlands between Wolverhampton and Birmingham, faces a number of challenges and finds itself below the national average on many indicators of social and economic deprivation.

Improving education in particular is seen by the Council as key for improving the overall wellbeing of the area, however specific educational challenges exist, including a large proportion of the area’s pupils (32.5%) being eligible for free school meals, and a higher percentage of adults (compared to the national average) leaving school with no qualifications.

The Solution
To help improve not only education but break the ongoing cycle of deprivation, Sandwell has developed a Local Education Partnership (LEP), called ‘Sandwell Futures’, and is embarking on a major £370m Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. Through Sandwell Futures, BSF aims to rebuild or renew every secondary school in the borough over the next few years, transforming education through the use of 21st century ICT, driving up achievement and increasing community access to facilities in schools.

Agilisys has recently been appointed ICT Partner to the LEP, as part of a 10-year strategic partnership won by consortium Environments for Learning (E4L), which also includes Interserve, Barclays Private Equity, and Cambridge Education.

Over the course of the partnership, Agilisys will deliver ICT hardware, software, infrastructure and a managed ICT service, starting with initial projects at Rowley Learning Campus and Smethwick Learning Campus.

The Benefits
Although the Partnership is quite new, Agilisys has already kicked off a number of projects to establish the transformational framework under which ICT will be delivered. Along with our partners within E4L, we have completed a number of schools and ICT design workshops, stakeholder consultations, and technology supplier and product evaluations.

Agilisys has also become part of Sandwell’s online business network, www.finditinsandwell.co.uk, and intends to provide opportunities for local organisations to participate in provision of ICT services.

This is because more than simply being a rebuilding project, Sandwell Futures aims to transform opportunities for young adults, creating a platform for economic growth across the Council.