EC Harris calls for change

EC Harris, working on 17 academies across the country as project manager and cost manager, has issued a report to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) advising it to create a framework of contractors in order to attract more commercial contractors to the schemes.

The consultancy's head of the education sector, Paul Foster, said this would speed up the process and improve efficiency targets. A DFES statement said it was considering the proposal.

The academies programme was first announced in March 2000, with the objective of raising education standards by replacing schools in struggling education authorities. Building costs are met by the Government and sponsors, private organisations such as faith groups, that make a charitable donation of 10%. The price tag for an academy is estimated between £20 and £30m.

Doubts have been raised as to the targets set by the DfES of 200 academies to be completed by 2010, as only 17 new buildings have been delivered so far.

However Andrew Whitehurst, director at Clarus Consulting, which has just won its first academy commission at the Harefield academy in Hillington, thought that the 2010 deadline was achievable. “If the projects are not all completed, at least they will all be in the staring block by then,” he said.