THE Government has given its seal of approval to a 400million plan to transform secondary education in County Durham. Durham County Council's blueprint - Building Schools for the Future (BSF)- outlining its "Vision" proposals was presented to the Government in March of this year.

The document reflects the extensive consultations and discussions which have taken place with other partners, organisations and the general public and how it proposes to achieve its goals over the next 10-15 years.

And now following detailed scrutiny, the document has been approved by the DfES.

Coun Claire Vasey the Council's Cabinet Member for Children's Services said: "It means that BSF is now properly up and running in County Durham. We can start to draw-up detailed plans for replacing and refurbishing our 36 secondary schools and working out costs and finance packages."

She added: "Schools themselves can start to develop and refine their own visions for the future. Workshops and meetings will be held at individual schools in the first phase to discuss the Vision with head teachers, school staff, governors, pupils and parents and members of the wider community."

The approval of the BSF document by the Government, she said, meant it was now "all systems go."

Approving the blueprint, DfES officials said the County Council's Vision was "well developed with many good features."

They said the County's proposals met the Government needs for delivering the appropriate level of transformation and improvement standards.

The programme will now be implemented in four phases starting in east Durham and Sedgefield followed by South Durham, West Durham and finally North Durham.

First phase building work is expected to start in January 2008 where about £100million will be spent on renewing and refurbishing schools and improving ICT facilities in east Durham and Sedegfield.

A similar sum will be allocated to each of the other three phases and it is likely that new buildings will be phased-in between 2009 and 2015.

Coun Vasey said: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a whole new learning environment for the 21st century that will inspire our children, young people and their whole families to achieve the very best of their ability."