Open Box provides specialist support and capacity for school organisation and capital investment projects. We have expertise in pupil place planning, sponsored and converter academies, school organisation reviews, new school / college establishment, capital strategy / bidding, and asset management planning.  We have worked with individual schools, groups of schools, Local Authorities, Diocese and academy sponsors.

Working with you, Open Box can analyse data (including GIS), develop options, organise consultations to engage partners and stakeholders, and project manage from conception to completion to support effective decision-making.  We are excellent at working with Governors, officers and Councilors.

Our recent projects include:

• Conversion academies: Project management for the conversion of seven high schools in Harrow (converted August 2011), a large secondary school in a London borough (potential conversion end of 2011), and a collective of several schools (potential conversion spring 2012)
• LA academy support: LA consultancy for managing academy conversions, including establishing project management structures, developing LA policy, and developing LA traded services for academies (spring / summer 2011)
• Sponsored academies: LA project management for The Eastbourne Academy (September 2010) and two Hastings Academies (September 2011) where ESCC was also the co-sponsor
• Pupil place planning: Developed projections and pupil place planning models for four LA’s, including GIS analysis. 
• Asset management and capital strategy: Updating and evaluation of asset management information, and development of capital programme priorities based on objective data; bidding for funding
• Primary school expansion: Led options appraisals and statutory processes for expansion, and acted as ‘technical advisor / critical friend’ for other LA proposals (London boroughs and shire counties). 
• Secondary school expansion: Led options appraisal of all schools and other sites for London borough
• School organisation reviews: Led options appraisals and statutory processes for age of transfer, and options appraisals for secondary reorganisations, special school reorganisations, and future options for PRU provision
• New organisations: Project Manager for successful bid into a LSC Post 16 competition, including capital funding, to establish a new Sixth Form College in Lowestoft (open September 2011)
• Age of transfer: Designed the process and governance for Suffolk’s age-of-transfer, including leading option development and consultation for over 50 schools
  

Contact Us:

E: david.groves@openboxconsulting.co.uk
T: 07712 585 741

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