Pupils from three Peterborough secondary schools have the chance to influence £80 million development projects thanks to a unique project that aims to inspire creativity in young people.

Teams of up to 15 pupils from each of Ormiston Bushfield Academy, Orton Longueville School and Stanground College together with lead teachers will form Pupil Client Teams to work with the Sorrell Foundation’s architects and designers to create pupil design briefs for their schools. They will study examples of good design with the aim of developing imaginative ideas for new school buildings.

The Sorrell Foundation works in partnership with the government's Building Schools for the Future programme, which is investing billions of pounds in providing modern secondary school premises throughout Britain.

"This excellent scheme has many benefits," said Councillor John Holdich, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and University at Peterborough City Council. "It stimulates the creative thinking of pupils while involving them in the design of the new buildings and the school’s role in their local community.

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"The project requires pupils to undertake research, present their findings and discuss design techniques with skilled architects. So pupils will participate in many beneficial learning experiences that could influence their future career aspirations."

Under the scheme the teams are required to undertake research among their fellow pupils and identify the top six priority areas out of a checklist of 15 common issues relating to school design, ranging from colour, use of space, safety and security and inclusion through to toilets, storage and sustainability.

The issues will be discussed at a Challenge Day held at the Young Design Centre at Somerset House in London on 20 October. In the afternoon, pupils will study examples of inspiring architecture along the South Bank, including a trip on the London Eye.

After providing feedback to their schools, the pupils will attend a full-day creative workshop where they will develop ‘mood boards’ with the help of designers and illustrators. Finally, they will present their findings and design briefs at a Celebration event.

Work on building new £20 million premises for Ormiston Bushfield Academy is expected to begin in autumn 2010 with the new buildings ready for September 2012. This will permit an expansion in pupil numbers from just over 700 currently to around 950.

Construction of £40 million new premises at Stanground College and £20 million improvements at Orton Longueville School will follow around autumn 2011 with the new school buildings ready for the September 2013 academic year.

Completion of these projects will mean that all Peterborough's secondary schools will have benefited from multi-million pound improvement schemes in recent years, with £135 million having already been spent on schools in the north of the city.

(CD/KMcA)