Bridgid Nzekwu and DfES procurement expert Claire Dicks visit Hornsey School for Girls in north London to see if they can get better value for money from their PFI contract.
Hornsey is a specialist performing arts college which has a stylish new building and refurbished classrooms all thanks to a local authority contract under the PFI.
However, there's a downside, there are a number of irritating minor problems all of which can be traced to the way the PFI contract operates.
The school is tied into 25 year contracts for most major expenditures: contracts for cleaning, grounds maintenance, property maintenance and management.
