Following the publication of the James Review in April 2011, considerable attention has been given for the need to provide standardised solutions for schools. A number of well-known names immediately come to mind, including the Laing O’Rourke/Atkins pre-fabricated sustainable solution (manufactured in the factory they purchased just before the cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future programme); Willmott Dixon’s Sunesis offering through the single-source SCAPE framework; and Wates’ modular ADAPT solution (the forerunner at Campsmount being the first of the new ‘Low Cost Academies’).

In this article, we review the underlying reasons for the promotion of standardised solutions; some of the current solutions in the marketplace; the general advantages and disadvantages of standardised solutions; and how this approach may be used in other sectors.