The condition of school buildings

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 24 May 2023 Closed: 8 Mar 2024 Parliament page
In March 2022 the Public Accounts Committee reported on the risks to schools’ financial sustainability , including wide variations in the condition of individual schools and their funding. The school estate in England comprises some 22,000 schools, with the majority overseen by the responsible body in control of the school, … Read more
2 Recommendations
40 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
2 Letters
1 Event
Activity timeline 6 events
8 Mar
2024
Report published
26 Feb
2024
Correspondence
19 Nov
2023
Report published
19 Sep
2023
Correspondence
13 Jul
2023
Oral evidence
13 Jul
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
13 Jul 2023
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The condition of school buildings
Jane Balderstone · Department for Education Jane Cunliffe · Department for Education Susan Acland-Hood · The Department for Education
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Second Report - The condition of school buildings HC 78 19 Nov 2023 42 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
5 results
Clear
13 Conclusion Acknowledged
Second Report - The condition of s…
DfE unable to report total number of temporary RAAC classrooms supplied to schools
We asked DfE about the temporary classrooms it was providing for schools unable to use some of their space because of RAAC. It told us that it had three central contracts in place to supply temporary classrooms, but in general … Read more
Government Response
The government states it is funding emergency capital works, including temporary buildings, and provides dedicated support to schools with confirmed RAAC to ensure face-to-face education. However, it does not provide the specific number of temporary classrooms supplied, which the committee noted DfE could not previously provide.
HM Treasury
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14 Conclusion Acknowledged
Second Report - The condition of s…
DfE's central temporary classroom contracts proving ineffective for some responsible bodies
DfE explained that it hoped to use the central contracts to enable speedier delivery of temporary classrooms to all RAAC-affected schools who needed them, and to pay for them centrally—including for specialist equipment within the classroom where 17 September 2023 … Read more
Government Response
The government states it is funding emergency works, including temporary buildings, and has assigned caseworkers to support schools with bespoke plans. It highlights efforts to process requests quickly, ensure processes are not burdensome, and arrange urgent payments, implying improvements to the support system.
HM Treasury
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17 Conclusion Acknowledged
Second Report - The condition of s…
DfE lacks specific figures on RAAC impact, hindering timely public transparency
We asked DfE some questions intended to shed light on the latest position with RAAC at the time of our evidence session on 11 September, such as the number of pupils who were unable to start the school year as … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the observation but commits only to writing to the Committee alongside the publication of the Treasury Minute, without specifying a strategy for regular public information on RAAC.
HM Treasury
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18 Conclusion Acknowledged
Second Report - The condition of s…
Number of RAAC-affected educational settings continues to increase across the estate
On 19 September, the Secretary of State issued an updated statement on RAAC. It detailed that: DfE had received questionnaire responses in relation to 98.6% of schools with blocks built in the target era; every school that was awaiting a … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the observation but commits only to writing to the Committee alongside the publication of the Treasury Minute, without offering further specific updates or actions.
HM Treasury
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31 Conclusion Acknowledged
Second Report - The condition of s…
Funding constraints prevent rebuilding non-hazardous schools, despite better long-term value for money
We asked DfE about longer-term risks to value for money. It described a set of schools that pose no safety risks and can be maintained to a reasonable condition. However, when considering the work needed to keep these schools in … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the committee's observation and, while citing existing guidance and support for estate management, states it is considering how to further clarify roles and support responsible bodies to manage estates effectively for the long-term, with a target implementation date of February 2025.
HM Treasury
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Government Response AI assessment · 35 of 2 classified
Accepted 24
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 5
Deferred 1
Not Addressed 3
Rejected 1
Total 2 recs + 40 conclusions
Correspondence 2 letters
26 Feb 2024 Correspondence from Susan Acland-Hood, Permanent Secretary, Department for Education, re The condition of school buildings, dated 16 February 2024
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19 Sep 2023 Correspondence from Susan Acland-Hood, Permanent Secretary, Department for Education, re Condition of School Buildings, dated 7 September 2023
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