Laing O’Rourke, Miller Construction and Skanska head shortlist for Newham schools scheme

Three private sector consortia have been shortlisted to work on a project worth £200m to develop Newham secondary schools. The three shortlisted groups are being headed by Laing O’Rourke, Miller Construction UK and Skanska UK.

The winning consortium will work with the government's Partnership for Schools organisation and the council to rebuild Little Ilford, Lister, Rokeby and Stratford schools as well as remodel and refurbish a further nine schools.

Work is scheduled to start next year and continue until 2014 under the government's Building Schools for the Future programme.

Quintin Peppiatt, cabinet member for Children and Young People, said of the Newham scheme: “This is our chance to create modern facilities for all our secondary schools. We need well designed buildings that will stand the test of time and can be adapted to the changes in teaching and curriculum that will come along over the next 30 years."