French contractor Bouygues and Architecture PLB are this month due to clinch financial close on a 25-year PFI contract for two secondary schools in Barking, east London. It will be the first British school PFI project for Bouygues, which has a track record in healthcare PFI, and for Architecture PLB's new London office. Special design features include 75 m2 classrooms, nearly 40% larger than normal, and insitu concrete construction. Barking and Dagenham council is client, with Terrell International as structural engineer, Battle McCarthy as services engineer and Plincke Landscape as landscape architect.