Statement re BSF Contract

RM PLC
17 January 2008

                                                               17th January 2008
       
RM to be appointed selected bidder for Sunderland BSF ICT contract

RM has been selected by Sunderland City Council to provide managed ICT services
to the Council's BSF (Building Schools for the Future) programme.

The City's BSF programme covers five secondary schools and three Sunderland
Model academies, serving a total of 8,000 pupils. RM will be responsible for
designing and delivering a sophisticated managed ICT service, which will be
integrated into the fabric of the schools. RM will also provide a shared
learning platform for the schools and a Web-delivered MIS system based on its
IntegrisG2 product.

Commenting on the contract, Tim Pearson, CEO of RM, said:

'Sunderland has very ambitious plans for its BSF programme, with three new
academies as well as rebuilding or refurbishing existing schools. ICT has an
important role in these plans and we're delighted that the Council has selected
RM as its ICT partner.

'As always, the most important thing is achieving a positive impact for
learners. We look forward to working with the Council and its chosen building
partner, Balfour Beatty, to do just that.'

Councillor Bob Symonds, Leader of Sunderland City Council, said:

'This investment in a new ICT infrastructure and cutting-edge facilities will
have an enormous impact on education and the life chances of every child in
Sunderland. ICT is an integral part of our BSF programme and we recognise that
technology will be instrumental in transforming secondary education to deliver
our City's vision. RM's core strength is its ability to integrate diverse
technologies to deliver educational value in the classroom and we look forward
to working in partnership with them to achieve this.'

Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Schools, said:

'This is an important milestone in Sunderland's BSF programme and we
congratulate RM on being appointed as the selected bidder to deliver ICT
services. BSF is transforming education for thousands of young people and
teachers up and down the country by providing learning environments that inspire
and engage and we look forward to seeing the difference this programme will make
in Sunderland.'


For further information, please contact:
Mike Greig/Phil Hemmings, RM plc                        08450 700300
Mark Antelme, Brunswick                                 020 7404 5959


Notes to Editors:

1.       Founded in 1973, the RM Group is a leading provider of educational
products and services to schools, colleges and universities, local government
and central government education departments and agencies. RM works closely with
educationalists to create new products, processes and technology which improve
teaching and learning. RM is listed on the main market of the London Stock
Exchange under the symbol RM.L.

2.       BSF (Building Schools for the Future) is the largest single schools
capital investment programme for over 50 years. It aims to rebuild or renew
every one of England's 3,500 state secondary schools during the lifetime of the
programme. A key part of the initiative is to ensure that local authorities
develop a sustainable, area-wide ICT strategy for schools in line with the
Government's personalised learning agenda: 10% of the funding is ring-fenced for
ICT.

3.       Partnerships for Schools (PfS) is the delivery agency for BSF. PfS was
established in April 2004 as a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), and is
operated and funded under a joint venture between Department for Children,
Schools and Families (formerly DfES) and Partnerships UK.

4.       Sunderland is taking an innovative approach to BSF. Linking closely
with other major initiatives, Sunderland plans to build three new Sunderland
Model academies as part of its wider BSF programme. Key principles of the
Sunderland Model include:

   • Admissions policies will be the same as for schools maintained by the
    Council - there will be no selection
   • Academies will be fully accessible to pupils with special educational
    needs and will support policies for increased inclusion in all mainstream
    schools
   • All secondary schools, including academies, will work together on
    exclusion policies and practice to maintain the low levels of exclusion we
    have in Sunderland
   • Academies will be a key part of the Council's strategy for 14 to 19
    learning, as set out in the 14 to 19 strategy for the City, 'Building a
    Better Future'
   • Academies will work in collaboration and partnership with the Council,
    other schools and the City of Sunderland College




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