A West Midlands council's search for the right partners to help them rebuild secondary schools through Building Schools for the Future (BSF) has taken a major step forward

Sandwell Council has now named four longlisted bidders: Environments for Learning; VT Education and Skills and E C Harris; Transform Schools; and Mouchelparkman Babcock Education. These will be evaluated and narrowed down to a shortlist in February, from which Sandwell Council will go on to choose one bidder to help deliver the BSF programme.

The BSF project will eventually see almost £260 million invested in Sandwell's schools over the next decade. As well as being a major building programme, it is also the chance to transform secondary education for generations of learners.

The plan has already been set in motion with demolition work beginning at the former Rowley Regis College. Under the £43 million programme for Rowley Regis, mobile classrooms and a gym are currently being removed and scaffolding erected in readiness for dismantling buildings on the site. However, demolition is just the start, with plans for refurbishment of existing buildings alongside new structures, including Sports, Performing Arts, Business and Enterprise and Design and Technology blocks.

The new site, dubbed Rowley Regis Learning Campus, will become a visible new landmark in the borough and will be one of Sandwell's flagship developments as part of the BSF scheme. The campus will offer extended services to the wider community, and all users of the buildings will benefit from design features such as accessibility, light, space, colour schemes, furnishings and heating and climate control, as well as extensive information technology provision.

Councillor Ian Jones, Sandwell Council's cabinet member for children and young people, said: "It is essential that we secure the services of the best companies to realise our vision for education across Sandwell.

"Significant investment into the redundant site in Rowley Regis will ensure regeneration of the local area, as well as a wealth of opportunities and a range of services for pupils, staff and the whole community. We really are building schools for the future and this is a wonderful opportunity to create modern schools of which we can all be proud."

Paul Piddock, Sandwell BSF programme director, said: "More than 60 representatives from the private sector attended a bidders' day in September, where we introduced the project, and following that we received a number of high quality pre qualification returns.

"We are pleased to announce that four nationally reputable consortia of organisations have put in bids to partner with Sandwell Council on this exciting project, from whom we will choose one final bidder. The successful bidder will work closely with Sandwell Council and everyone who will be affected by the new schools to ensure that new buildings such as Rowley Regis Learning Campus will be attractive, responsive to their needs and fit for the 21st century."