The purpose of the study was to review what PFI contracts were delivering in the schools sector by the end of 2001, and users' experience of those schools during the first half of 2002, by comparing them with schools provided through traditional procurement. The study was undertaken in 2003 when more than 500 primary and secondary schools were already part of PFI deals signed or currently in procurement (67 schemes in all). The report examined whether the first buildings were of good quality, what the schools' users thought about these buildings and services, and their costs. To do this, the report compared the PFI funded schools with traditionally procured schools within the same local authority. Information was gathered from Local Education Authorities (LEAs), schools and private consortia members.
The Audit Commission visited nine LEAs across England and Wales with PFI schemes that had been delivering facilities management services for at least a year. A Market and Opinion Research International survey based on a design evaluation tool developed by the Construction Industry Council was also sent to a range of pupils and staff in 18 newly built schools - 10 traditionally built (59 people) and eight PFI built (35 people).