Academy programme

Mossbourne Academy in Hackney is one of four academies in London involving project management by our specialist teamsAt Mott MacDonald we’re currently helping deliver six new academies as part of our framework contract with the UK’s Department for Education and Skills.

The Academy programme involves publicly funded independent schools catering for pupils of all abilities. They are established by sponsors from business, faith or voluntary groups working with partners from the local community to replace weak and failing schools or to meet the basic need for school places in areas of educational underperformance or other disadvantage. Sponsors provide investment towards the capital costs of each academy with the government providing the balance and funding recurrent costs.

Our involvement under our framework contract includes managing projects and developing proposals for academies for submission to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for capital funding approval. The academies involving project management by our specialist teams are Bradford Cathedral Academy, Kensington Academy in Liverpool and four in London - the Harefield Sports Academy in Hillingdon, St Paul’s Academy in Greenwich, Mossbourne Academy in Hackney and Peckham Academy in south London.

Our project management services include:

• Drawing up and negotiation of all design team contracts, through to supervision of service delivery and payment of fees
• Sourcing, employment and initial stage direction of principal designate, including set-up of academy strategies, policies, procedures and registration with all relevant bodies
• Organisation of service agreements for aspects such as catering, payroll, professional development, site management and refuse collection

For some academy projects we’ve also provided strategic consultancy on information and communication technology (ICT), managed system delivery and helped teachers integrate ICT into the classroom.