School's Out

Parklands School in Speke, built under the PFI (Private Finance Initiative) together with other facilities (a library, housing office, community centre etc.) to replace Speke Comprehensive and opened in 2002. In 2008 it found itself at the bottom of the national league tables for GCSEs. A level results were not much better, and by 2014 only 172 places out of its potential  900 were filled. 53 of these students were in their final year and the school had only received 34 applications to start the next year. The school was closed. There is now no secondary school in Speke, although there are an estimated 750 young people of secondary age living there. 

The PFI plan was for repayment over a 25 year period, so it would be interesting to know what impact this closure is having on the City's finances.

The PFI company was Equity Solutions. Its website states that "Equity Solutions’ property management subsidiary provides the ongoing property management support for the facility and oversees the subcontracted facilities management services.

This project was a great success; satisfying the community’s needs in a deprived area of Liverpool with an innovative design solution whilst maintaining affordability."