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"Working with 1st Planner, they have used huge data sets and identified where capacity is both inside our schools and across our estates. They have identified finances and opportunities for us to develop those estates and the resulting plan has been really clear. It has identified not only positives and opportunities across our trust but also for our Local Authorities particularly where it comes to SEND provision and sufficiency. We are now getting the opportunity to work closely with our Local Authorities to help the most vulnerable and needs children we have.
1st Planner have been really good at identifying the 1st stages of the plans and helping us engage with people from the DfE, Local Authority and industry partners to try and get things moving forwards and we have a really clear pathway
What they do really works, it does adds huge capacity to the work of the Trust and delivers exactly what it says on the tin."
"The partnership between the City of Wolverhampton Council and 1st Planner has successfully supported our evidenced based approach to school place planning. The series of bespoke products provided by 1st Planner offer a great starting point to both maximise the use of existing facilities and support the development of future plans."
"1st Planner was appointed to conduct utilisation surveys on a number of facilities jointly occupied by NHS and local authority bodies. The complexity of occupancy provided a significant challenge for 1st Planner but by working closely, and patiently, with all parties and their representatives 1st Planner was able to produce reports which were invariably of value to the tenants. As a result, both the NHS and local authority are now well placed to improve their use of the surveyed buildings."
"Highfields School has benefited enormously from the support 1st Planner have provided in a range of areas. 1st Planner have worked over an extended period with senior leaders at Highfields to analyse the extent to which we make effective use of our resources. This has included sufficiency, accessibility and timetabling analysis, which enabled us to identify specific areas with additional capacity to inform short and medium term improvement planning to increase efficiency. Alongside this, 1st Planner are providing professional expertise in working with the school community to produce a long term development plan, supporting work towards building a collective vision for the future of the school.
In addition, 1st Planner offer our Key Stage 4 students experience of the range of disciplines involved in their work, through high quality work placement opportunities. These placements provide students with invaluable experiences and skills which support progression towards apprenticeships and further education in areas including construction, property, manufacturing and business administration. We are delighted to have formed such an effective partnership with 1st Planner and look forward to working together further in the future."
"Lea Primary is 150 years old and 3 years ago we were in desperate need of some improvements been made to the building and environment – both structurally and for improving our educational facilities and opportunities. 1st Planner supported our school with the completion of a detailed sufficiency, suitability, accessibility and condition review and the production of a comprehensive development plan. It was a fantastic tool for us to base our future plans. After many discussions and meetings, they continued to support us by masterminding and managing the fundraising programme that has allowed us to extensively modernise our community primary school. They even helped us to find relevant grants and available funds.
Since 1st Planner became involved, we now have a MUGA pitch, trim trail, have resurfaced part of the playground, had extensive structural repairs, replaced the heating system, modernised the staff room and hall areas, installed horticulture facilities including an outdoor learning area and outdoor education space and hopefully next year a completely new roof!
Without 1st Planner’s dedicated and valuable input, we would not have been able to provide such a wonderful environment for our pupils. Thank you 1st Planner!"
“Birmingham City Council’s relationship with 1st Planner has developed over the last four years. Initially the commission was to support with Construction Planning and Project Controls in order to realise efficiencies on school expansion projects leading to a full lean review of the capital programme. However, 1st Planner’s analytical approach identified further opportunity within the existing estate which has enabled us to develop processes and tools that allow for considerable savings to be made against the capital budgets available. Through establishing an extremely detailed understanding of the estate and pupil demand upon it, together we have been able to realise value that was previously perceived not to exist. 1st Planner have also been fundamental with the development and implementation of a process that has allowed for a considerable proportion of the Education Infrastructure Department’s revenue costs to be capitalised against the savings that have been made, therefore supporting with the ongoing viability of the team.”
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