| Summary: | From 1997 to 2010 sustained investment in school building was observed in England, under successive Labour governments committed to the renewal of public services and to the promotion of education as a national priority. School architecture was thus made to support policies which aimed at raising all levels of educational achievement. This paper attempts to examine the different ideological and political motivations which account for the launch of a flagship programme, Building Schools for the Future and, under a new administration, for its withdrawal. How do school building policies tie in with Third Way values on the one hand, and the Big Society project on the other? Among the issues raised are the complex and sometimes tense relationships between architects and policy-makers and the consequences political decisions and their implementation may have on the design of school space. Labour and the Coalition have adopted opposite approaches, the former favouring educational and social objectives, the latter questioning the role of the architect and the impact of school environments. In spite of political and ideological differences, similar lines of thought and action can however be detected.
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