Software and services firm Civica has completed the first part of a Building School for the Future (BSF) project in Sheffield and a pre-BSF schools infrastructure project for Essex County Council.

The first phase of the Sheffield project covers nine schools with a contract value of £10.44m. The project is worth nearly £50m over the next ten years.

Meanwhile, Civica has supported Essex County Council (ECC) in implementing a new technology infrastructure, which will be available to 70 secondary schools and 450 primary schools throughout the county.

The Essex Schools’ Collaboration Infrastructure (ESCI) named ESCIMO by the staff and students is a platform designed and delivered by Civica.

The platform, which has up to 500,000 users registered, is based on Microsoft’s Learning Gateway framework and enables pupils and staff across Essex to share information and collaborate in a secure environment via access to ICT resources when and where needed.

Websites within the ESCIMO environment also enable peer groups and teachers, who are in local schools and organisations, to collaborate across the county.

For Sheffield’s BSF programme Civica has ensured the first local school in the programme has opened on time.

Yewlands Technology College has been kitted out with a new ICT managed learning environment (MLE) and managed service for over 1,000 pupils and staff.

The LearnSheffield MLE integrates Microsoft Learning Gateway and SharePoint 2007 technologies, PLUS Vista and Office 2007 as well as Civica’s own products such as Icon and Spydus Library Management System.

Simon Downing, chief executive of Civica said: “Civica is helping provide a modern foundation for learning and collaboration for students, teachers, schools and parents across Sheffield and Essex.

“We believe both programmes are transforming the educational environment for everyone using our new technology platforms and we are delighted to deliver the real benefits on the ground that schools of the future offer.”