Government Response to the
Public Works Committee
Report No 100, December 2008
Review of the Prep School Year Capital Works Program
Background
As part of its February 2004 election commitments, the Queensland Government
announced the introduction of a universally available, non-compulsory, full-time
Preparatory Year of schooling in 2007 with full implementation by 2008 in all State
primary schools.
A major capital works program was required to facilitate the delivery of the prep play
and inquiry based curriculum. This program, with expenditure of $290m represented
the biggest single capital program of works in the history of state education in
Queensland.
An audit was carried out in early 2004 by a Review Team (RT) comprising
representatives from Treasury, Education Queensland and specialist consultants. The
audit identified indicative facilities solutions for approximately 640 schools.
A detailed audit of each school commenced on 23 August 2004 with the data
collection completed by 10 December 2004. This audit identified the needs of each
school and firm solutions were identified and signed off by the School Principal.
Detailed design and tender documentation was prepared for the scope of work
identified by the audit (for those schools where a building solution was required).
The RT made its recommendations for building design after extensive consultation
with key stakeholders in both the State and non-state sectors. In particular,
consultation occurred with representatives of the Queensland Association of State
School Principals (QASSP), Queensland Teachers’ Union (QTU), principals and early
childhood teachers.
A ‘mock-up’ of the new classroom design was established in an unused portion of the
Science Centre. This ‘mock-up’ was used in consulting with key stakeholders such as
the QTU, QASSP and general educationalists. There was a very positive response to
this design.
The design was “trialled” with the end users of the 18 phase-in schools completed in
2005 and the 20 phase-in schools completed in 2006. The process included liaison
with the QTU and QASSP as part of the ongoing consultations occurring with these
stakeholders. Feedback from these schools was used to improve the design of the
various facilities solutions, including selection of building materials, noise
attenuation, floor vibration and internal fit out.
The Prep Capital Works Program comprised two major phases. The first was
completed prior to the 2007 school year ensuring facilities were ready to
accommodate the initial half-year cohort of students and the second, completed for
the 2008 school year, ensuring accommodation for the first full cohort of Prep year
students.
The final number and type of facilities delivered by the Preparatory (Prep) Program
were: provision of 449 new Prep classrooms, refurbishment of 607 existing primary
classrooms, funding allocations to 412 schools to enhance existing classrooms to
accommodate preparatory students where 16 or fewer preparatory students were
enrolled and funding allocations to enhance the condition of 673 existing preschool
classrooms.
A post occupancy evaluation of the Prep program sought responses from 130 schools
(approximately 20% of schools on the Prep building program) that represented a
broad sample by geographic location, size and facilities solutions.
Across Queensland, a sample of 130 schools that provided a broad geographic spread,
and represented the various facilities solution that comprised the Prep project were
selected for inclusion in the Post Occupancy Evaluation.
98 schools responded to the questionnaire, and their responses indicate that:
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97% believe that the Prep infrastructure supports teaching and learning
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93% stated that the Prep facilities suited their needs
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89.7% were happy with the siting of Prep facilities with regard to existing
infrastructure.
Government Response to the
Public Works Committee
Report No 100, December 2008
Review of the Prep School Year Capital Works Program
The Public Works Committee’s Recommendations
Recommendation 1
The committee recommends that Department of Education and Training (DET) install
covered links from classrooms to toilets in all future Prep school facilities.
Response
This recommendation is supported.
Comment
Covered links are being installed as a standard provision in existing and all future
Prep school facilities where Prep classrooms access external toilets. New Prep
classrooms are provided with covered links to access either new toilets provided with
the classrooms or to existing school toilets. Where Prep classrooms are established
from existing school facilities access to external toilets is provided by existing
covered links or new covered links are installed as required.
The Prep Facility Enhancement Program provided funding of $20 million in 2006-07
to install covered links at schools north of the Barkly Highway and east of the Great
Dividing Range. The covered links were installed from Prep classrooms to toilets and
to the existing school path network. In 2008-09 an additional $23 million funding was
provided to complete the installation of covered links at schools in SEQ. It is
anticipated that this program will be substantially complete by 30 June 2009.
Recommendation 2
The committee recommends that DET develop Best Practice Guidelines to Prep
facilities that include:
a) a minimum of 3.4square metres per child per classroom group of 25 students
(excluding non teaching space – the kitchen and teacher’s room);
b) the location of the toilets within the teacher’s line of sight and as close as possible
to Prep classrooms (and, where this is not possible, provide new toilet facilities);
c) a balance between indoor and outdoor learning areas for Prep students; and
d) siting of classrooms to maintain adequate playground space and proximity to
existing outdoor areas.
2a Response:
This recommendation is not supported.
Comment
The current and future focus of Prep delivery standards will be on functionality and
practical applications that have been tested and proven to deliver a satisfactory work
space rather than prescriptive measures such as ‘area per child’
This approach is supported by the Prep Post Occupancy Evaluation Report completed
in June 2008 and regular monitoring of the performance of the classrooms which
highlight high levels of satisfaction with the current Prep infrastructure. In developing
classroom prototypes extensive input was provided by early childhood experts and
practitioners as well as from results of the trials.
The Australian Early Childhood Association (AECA) figures that were cited by the
Queensland Association of State School Principals (QASSP) relate to standalone
licensed child care services that also cater for very young children.
Prep is a unique provision for 4.5 – 5.5 yr olds and is incorporated into schools as part
of a Prep to year 3 precinct where prep students utilise a range of specialist
areas/space (e.g. libraries)
2b Response
The recommendation is supported.
Comment
DET confirms that the Prep Year Facilities Brief will be amended to provide that all
future Prep classrooms are sited within reasonable distance of existing toilets and
within the teacher’s line of sight from the internal general learning area(s) and/or the
outdoor learning area(s), and where this is not possible provide new toilet facilities.
The Prep program met the siting guidelines for toilets, provided by the Independent
Review Team and within the constraints of the budget. Whilst the location of the
toilets within the teacher’s line of sight was sought as a highly desirable objective the
existing layout of the school and the preferred location of the Prep classroom did not
always make this achievable within the funding limitations. The Prep Program
provided 225 additional toilets in situations where it was considered that reasonable
access to toilets was not possible.
2c Response
This recommendation is supported.
Comment
Appropriate access to outdoor learning areas will remain a key siting consideration in
DET’s future Prep delivery standards.
Preparatory facilities were sited to achieve integration with the junior primary
precinct of the school and access existing facilities. Access to existing outdoor
learning areas was a significant factor considered in the siting of new buildings and
the selection of buildings for refurbishment. Outdoor learning areas were provided as
part of the design of all new Prep buildings. In the 37 instances where the siting of
Prep classrooms did not achieve reasonable access to existing facilities, additional
outdoor learning areas were provided as part of the program.
2d Response
The recommendation is supported.
Comment
DET will continue to include the need to provide adequate playground space in close
proximity within future Prep delivery standards.
In accessing outdoor play areas, DET’s intention was to use existing junior play areas
and equipment. This was part of the siting criteria that located Prep buildings as close
as possible to the junior precinct of the school. New buildings were sited to minimise
the impact on existing play structures. In those cases where playground equipment
had to be removed schools received funding for its replacement. Siting and
consideration of access to playground equipment was done on a case-by-case basis.
As a result, there were some variations in approach due to the wide range of existing
facilities at schools as well considerable variability in the size of school sites across
the State.
Recommendation 3
The committee recommends that for future projects DET seek input from all
interested parties, including teachers and parents, in the consultation process.
Response:
This recommendation is supported.
Comment
Extensive consultation was an integral part of the delivery of the Prep program. An
outline of this process is provided below.
DET monitored the implementation of Prep closely during the trial and phase-in
period, 2003-2006, and the roll-out of the main program in 2007 and 2008. A number
of mechanisms, including surveys, routine departmental activities and meetings with
key stakeholders facilitated the monitoring process. Parents and school staff were
surveyed during 2007 to capture perceptions of the Prep implementation, identify
challenges and inform school planning processes to support implementation of the full
cohort in 2008. In developing prototypes for Prep year classrooms an education brief
informed the initial design as well as feedback gathered from DET representatives,
the Queensland Association of State School Principals, Queensland Teacher’s Union
and early education groups as part of the consultation process involving the two
classroom prototypes built at Tullawong State School and Proserpine State School.
Recommendation 4
The committee recommends that for future projects DET conducts a post occupancy
evaluation of all schools and ensure all interested parties are consulted, including
teachers and parents.
Response:
This recommendation is supported.
Comment
Post occupancy evaluations will be integral to program delivery and will inform
future (major) capital works programs such as Building the Education Revolution and
Pre Prep.
The Prep program comprised more that 1000 schools and it was impractical to impose
significant demands on the time of school staff and parents in every primary school in
the state. As a result the post occupancy evaluation of the prep program sought
responses form 130 schools (approximately 20% on the prep building program)
representing a broad sample by geographical location, size and facilities solutions. In
addition a comprehensive review process was undertaken by the Prep team with the
end users of the 38 phase in schools and this feedback was used to improve the design
of facilities solutions.
Recommendation 5
The committee recommends that for future projects DET ensure a local industry
participation plan is prepared.
Response:
The recommendation is supported.
Comment
DET and DPW are aware of the requirements of the Local Industry Policy. A key
criterion for the evaluation of tenders for the Prep School Year Capital Works
Program was demonstrated evidence of local industry participation in the building
program. A more detailed summary of DPW criteria is provided at attachment A.
The recommendation of the committee has been noted and Department of Public
Works advises that for projects in which it is involved, Local Industry Participation
Plans will be prepared in accordance with the Local Industry Policy.
Attachment A
Background DPW information re Prep Year Implementation
Contractors are required under the Queensland Government’s Local Industry Policy to
provide full, fair and reasonable opportunity to local suppliers and subcontractors to
tender for work associated with the delivery of Government resource base projects.
A critical component of local content is the integration of training and skill
development.
The initiatives included by Public Works were:
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reference to Australian Standards and codes in project documentation, giving
priority to locally manufactured products
using a priority order for specifying building industry products that gives
precedence to functional, performance and technical specifications without
unreasonably disadvantaging local manufacturers
including clauses in contract documentation that require building industry
contractors to report on local industry participation at prescribed times throughout
the contract period, and requiring contractors to advise sub-contractors and
suppliers of local industry participation requirements
using local tender boxes, where appropriate, to ensure that local industry
participants are not disadvantaged
advertising locally by using regional, state-wide or national newspapers as
appropriate, when using an open tendering process
identifying local service providers by consulting the whole-of-government
prequalification (PQC) system for building industry contractors and consultants
working closely with the Department of Employment and Training to improve
compliance with the State Government Building and Construction Contracts
Structured Training Policy (generally known as the 10% Training Policy)
incorporating non-price tender evaluation criteria specifically reflecting the intent
to achieve local industry participation on all projects identified under the Local
Industry Policy
monitoring building industry contractors’ compliance with Local Industry Policy
requirements of contracts that require regular Local Industry Participation reports,
and
providing individual projects reports to departments for inclusion of data in
reports to the Department of State Development on building projects that require
local industry participation reporting in accordance with the Department of State
Development Guide lines for developing Local Industry Participation Plans.