School Estate Management Failures
Failures in maintaining school buildings and estates to required standards, often due to insufficient guidance, training, or funding.
291 items
7 sources
2 inquiries
Strongest theme matches
Mixed across source types and ranked by classifier confidence plus text match strength.
Committee recommendation
99match
#11 - Provide targeted guidance, training, and funding for all responsible bodies to meet estate management standards.
We recommend that the DfE provide targeted guidance, training, and funding to ensure all responsible bodies, particularly smaller Multi- Academy Trusts, can meet estate management standards effectively. (Recommendation, Paragraph 51)
Matched on
terms: estate, management
Committee recommendation
98match
#5 - Require DfE to demonstrate a full picture of asbestos and adequate management plans in all schools.
DfE has incomplete knowledge of the prevalence of asbestos across the school estate. In May 2022, DfE agreed with our recommendation that it should urgently chase the 7% of schools that had not responded to the asbestos management survey it launched in 2018. In July 2023, DfE explained that the proportion of schools on which it was unsighted...
Matched on
terms: estate, management, school
Committee recommendation
98match
#3 - Implement FCDO's improved estate governance model, establishing a new board and publishing a maintenance strategy.
FCDO’s central estate function does not have adequate oversight of estate activities, both at overseas posts and across its project portfolio. Eighty-four percent of overseas posts have responsibility for maintaining their own estate, either through in-house teams or local contractors, with support from the FCDO central estate function in Whitehall. These posts have responsibility for managing their local...
Matched on
terms: estate, failure, management
Committee recommendation
94match
#23 - DfE policy for asbestos management in schools risks hidden dangers during RAAC works
DfE confirmed that its policy is not to remove all asbestos in the school estate, as this would be expensive and dangerous. However, we raised with DfE a case where a school thought it knew where it had asbestos, but much more asbestos was found when contractors demolished a block affected by RAAC, causing additional complications. DfE emphasised...
Matched on
terms: estate, management, school
Committee recommendation
91match
#8 - RAAC crisis highlights ageing, fragile school estate requiring more than incremental fixes.
The RAAC crisis highlighted a deeper, systemic issue: the ageing and fragile condition of England’s school estate. RAAC is not the only issue of concern within the wider school estate. While we welcome the Government’s commitment to publish a long-term strategy and its recent steps to improve standards and oversight, the evidence is clear that incremental fixes will...
Matched on
terms: estate, school
Committee recommendation
89match
#14 - Posts routinely fail to monitor and maintain properties, prioritising reactive over preventative maintenance.
Posts have responsibility for maintaining their estates. This is funded through budgets allocated to posts by FCDO’s geographic directorates.36 The Head of Mission in each post—the Ambassador or High Commissioner— has the discretion to decide, within the broad budget areas allocated, how 29 Qq 27, 65 30 Q 27; HMT, Spending Review 2025, CP 1336, 11 June 2025...
Matched on
terms: estate, failure, management
Committee recommendation
87match
#10 - Publish and implement the promised estate strategy to reduce maintenance backlog and replace school buildings.
The Government should publish and implement its promised estate strategy without delay, setting clear milestones for reducing the maintenance backlog and replacing life-expired buildings. (Recommendation, Paragraph 50)
Matched on
terms: estate, school
Committee recommendation
86match
#2 - Clarify DfE's school estate safety risk appetite and publish its RAAC eradication plan.
DfE’s risk appetite regarding the school estate, and how this aligns with its recent approach on RAAC, appears unclear. Since summer 2021, DfE has recognised a significant safety risk across the school estate. In spring 2023, it continued to assess that its mitigations would not bring the risk likelihood down to acceptable levels, and considered that the most...
Matched on
terms: estate, school
Committee recommendation
83match
#12 - Maintain and publish accurate, up-to-date data on the school estate's condition and progress.
The Government must maintain and publish accurate, up-to-date data on the condition of the school estate, including progress against remediation and rebuild targets, to build public confidence and accountability. (Recommendation, Paragraph 52) 19
Matched on
terms: estate, school
Committee recommendation
83match
#1 - RAAC emergency reveals chronic capital investment deficit across the school estate.
Taken together, the RAAC emergency represents more than an isolated safety risk, it is symptomatic of a chronic capital investment deficit. Restoring resilience to the school estate requires sustained, strategic investment, a clear commitment to long-term infrastructure renewal and recognition that the quality of physical environments is an essential pillar of educational success. (Conclusion, Paragraph 6) RAAC in...
Matched on
terms: estate, school
Committee recommendation
80match
#4 - Forty-Seventh Report - Academies Sector Annual Report and Accounts 2019/20
We continue to be concerned about the Department’s understanding of asbestos within the school estate. Asbestos is a significant, and potentially dangerous, problem in many schools. We have previously found that the Department did not have a complete picture of asbestos in school buildings, or enough information to ensure that the risks were being properly managed. The Department...
Matched on
terms: estate, management, school
Committee recommendation
78match
#6 - Require all school bodies to undertake structured surveys and risk assessments of higher-risk buildings.
The DfE should require all responsible bodies managing potentially problematic structures within the school estate to undertake a structured survey and risk assessment of higher-risk building types at least every three to five years. (Recommendation, Paragraph 39)
Matched on
terms: estate, school
Committee recommendation
78match
#24 - Overseas posts face inadequate capacity and skills for proper estate maintenance.
Posts not covered by regional facilities management contracts have to use in-house staff or local contractors.65 While larger posts can have dedicated estate managers and estates teams, smaller posts may not have estates specialists on site.66 FCDO’s recent ‘FMR24’ exercise found limited local expertise in posts led to them routinely failing to monitor and maintain their property, inconsistent...
Matched on
terms: estate, management
Committee recommendation
77match
#22 - Asbestos risk higher in schools due to shared occupancy; oversight concerns raised
In its written submission, NAHT (the school leadership union) emphasised that shared occupancy of school buildings by adults and young people can lead to a higher risk of asbestos disturbance than in other workplaces, and that even normal school activities can routinely disturb asbestos. It concluded that this leads to increased risk for everyone in the school environment....
Matched on
terms: management, school
Committee recommendation
77match
#1 - DfE significantly changed safety guidance for RAAC-affected schools in August 2023.
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we first took evidence from the Department for Education (DfE) about the condition of school buildings in England in July 2023.1 On 31 August 2023, DfE significantly changed its safety guidance for schools that were confirmed to have reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) – a lightweight...
Matched on
terms: failure, school
Committee recommendation
76match
#20 - Forty-Seventh Report - Academies Sector Annual Report and Accounts 2019/20
The Department launched the Asbestos Management Assurance Process (AMAP) in March 2018 to better understand how well asbestos is managed across all schools.51 When we examined academy schools’ finances in March 2018, we were concerned that the Department did not have enough information about the extent of asbestos in schools to ensure that the risks were being properly...
Matched on
terms: estate, management, school
Committee recommendation
74match
#7 - Commission a national digital register of asbestos in education estate with annual compliance reporting.
We further recommend the Government commission a national digital register of asbestos in the education estate and annual reporting on HSE compliance and asbestos removal achieved through capital programmes. (Recommendation, Paragraph 40) Wider concerns about the condition and maintenance of the school estate
Matched on
terms: estate, school
Committee recommendation
73match
#18 - 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 specialist survey when the previous statement was made on 4 September had been visited or would be visited...
Matched on
terms: estate, school
Committee recommendation
73match
#12 - DfE lacks proactive funding commitments or eradication targets for RAAC in schools.
DHSC is providing £685 million of funding, to the end of 2025, to mitigate RAAC in hospitals. It has also committed to eradicating RAAC across the NHS estate by 2035.21 DfE has not proactively set out funding commitments or eradication targets, and instead explained that its priorities are to identify RAAC, move children out from under it, and...
Matched on
terms: estate, school
NAO recommendation
73match
Condition of school buildings
d) assess whether its current plan to carry out 200 invasive structural assessments on system-built blocks remains the best approach to provide an accurate and comprehensive understanding of the nature and the scale of the risks associated with the blocks, and therefore how best to mitigate these risks across the estate;
Matched on
terms: estate, school
Committee recommendation
72match
#18 - Forty-Seventh Report - Academies Sector Annual Report and Accounts 2019/20
The Department has estimated that the land and buildings within the academy estate is worth £56.3 billion at 31 August 2020.43 We asked the Department about its understanding of the academy estate and any concerns it had about its condition. The Department told us that it had not identified any issues across the academy estate that were substantially...
Matched on
terms: estate, school
Committee recommendation
69match
#21 - DfE remains unsighted on asbestos status in 4.4% of schools nationwide
DfE told us that its second Condition Data Collection programme (CDC2), which had covered around 40% of schools so far, allowed it to prioritise schools that had not responded to the asbestos survey. As a result, DfE remained unsighted on 4.4% of schools, which represents just under 1,000 schools. It said that surveyors visiting schools for CDC2 purposes...
Matched on
terms: management, school
Committee recommendation
69match
#7 - Establish a strategy for timely school repairs and reconsider fire safety value for money analysis.
DfE has focused on reactive measures addressing immediate building concerns that often fail to take account of longer-term value for money considerations. DfE has committed to providing funding for all schools that face critical and immediate safety risks but are unable to carry out appropriate remedial work themselves. DfE has been allocated school rebuilding funding equating to £1.3...
Matched on
terms: school
Committee recommendation
66match
#9 - Shift funding from short-term repairs to comprehensive upgrades and rebuilds for high-risk schools.
Funding should move beyond short-term patching and repairs toward comprehensive upgrades and rebuilds, prioritising schools beyond their design life and those posing the greatest safety risks. (Conclusion, Paragraph 49)
Matched on
terms: school
Committee recommendation
66match
#2 - Ensure FCDO overseas estate achieves sustainable footing with detailed backlog reduction plans
Much of FCDO’s overseas estate is in poor condition, and its estates maintenance backlog would cost an estimated £450 million to resolve. FCDO’s first priority with its overseas estate is providing a safe and legally compliant estate for staff and visitors. However, 933 of its 6,500 properties (around 15%) fail to meet its own condition targets and a...
Matched on
terms: estate
Committee recommendation
65match
#31 - 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 good condition over a five- to ten- year timeframe, DfE said that rebuilding would clearly present better value....
Matched on
terms: school
Committee recommendation
65match
#30 - HM Treasury funds significantly fewer school rebuilds than DfE recommended annually
In its Spending Review 2020 case, DfE recommended capital funding for the major rebuilding and refurbishment of around 200 schools each year. HM Treasury subsequently agreed to fund a 10-year programme to rebuild 50 schools per year, at an average cost of £1.3 billion a year. In selecting applications for its School Rebuilding Programme, DfE has prioritised schools...
Matched on
terms: school
Committee recommendation
65match
#29 - DfE prioritises immediate action and funding for urgent school building safety issues
DfE told us that its overarching principle is to act immediately if a building-related issue is putting pupils or teachers in danger but the school is unable to manage the issue itself. The issue might relate to asbestos, or more general structural problems.45 In May 2023, DfE also announced that, where RAAC is present in schools, it would...
Matched on
terms: school
Committee recommendation
65match
#11 - Schools awaiting specialist surveys for suspected RAAC face prolonged uncertainty regarding building safety.
The schools that have recently responded to DfE’s questionnaire saying they believe RAAC is present in their buildings are likely to be waiting a number of weeks for this to be confirmed by a specialist survey.19 DfE’s guidance for these schools is not to close the spaces where they suspect RAAC to be present, but to make a...
Matched on
terms: school
Committee recommendation
65match
#8 - Require DfE to provide assurance on School Rebuilding Programme timetable, costs, and scenario planning.
The School Rebuilding Programme is behind its initial schedule for getting contracts in place and schools built. DfE announced the School Rebuilding Programme in June 2020. By March 2023, it had delivered one project compared with a forecast four, and awarded 24 contracts compared with a forecast 83. Price inflation and other market conditions have made it difficult...
Matched on
terms: school
Committee recommendation
65match
#6 - Develop a support package and good practice guidance for schools in poor condition.
Unacceptable numbers of pupils are learning in poorly maintained or potentially unsafe buildings. The quality of school buildings has an impact on pupils’ learning experience, and ultimately on attainment levels and teacher retention. An estimated 700,000 pupils attend the 1,200 schools that have been considered for the School Rebuilding Programme, which aims to rebuild or refurbish those buildings...
Matched on
terms: school
Committee recommendation
62match
#15 - Establish a long-term programme to replace or modernise high-risk system-built school blocks.
We recommend that the Government establish a long-term programme to replace or modernise system-built blocks most at risk, aligning investment with safety priorities. (Recommendation, Paragraph 59)
Matched on
terms: school
Committee recommendation
62match
#13 - Ageing system-build schools pose hidden risks without deeper structural surveys and enriched information.
System-build schools are a legacy of a different era: built fast, with limited design life, and now ageing under conditions they were never intended to endure. While we welcome the DfE’s proactive research and its early indications of no widespread risk, without deeper structural surveys and enriched information, the Department and responsible bodies cannot guarantee that hidden risks...
Matched on
terms: school
PFD report
61match
Ashley Talbot
Poor design of the school service road and bus bay, coupled with insufficient staff supervision, created a highly dangerous situation for children crossing the road, stemming from a lack of accountability in the school's construction.
Matched on
terms: school
Committee recommendation
61match
#22 - 4th Report - Game On: Community and school sport
We recommend that the Government reinstate support for opening school sports facilities to communities, but that it do so through a long‑term, place‑based funding model, learning lessons from the experience of the Opening School Facilities Fund. The new programme should be locally informed, include clear sustainability and lifecycle cost requirements, and be aligned with wider community sport and...
Matched on
terms: school
Committee recommendation
61match
#33 - School Rebuilding Programme severely behind schedule on contracts awarded and projects completed.
DfE announced the School Rebuilding Programme in June 2020. As at March 2023, it had awarded 24 contracts, well below its August 2021 forecast of 83, with one project completed compared with its forecast of four. In addition, DfE was forecasting that it would complete fewer projects in 2023–24 than initially planned.53
Matched on
terms: school
Committee recommendation
61match
#32 - New and refurbished schools continue to lack sprinkler systems despite safety expectations
In written evidence, the London Fire Brigade expressed concern that many schools are continuing to be built, or are undergoing major refurbishment, without automatic fire suppression systems (such as sprinklers), contrary to the ‘expectation’ set out in Building Bulletin 100: Design for fire safety in schools, published in 2007.50 Zurich UK made a similar point, giving an example...
Matched on
terms: school
Committee recommendation
61match
#26 - 700,000 pupils learning in schools requiring major rebuilding, but only 500 will be addressed
Around 700,000 pupils are learning in a school which the responsible body or DfE believes requires major rebuilding or refurbishment, given safety issues or poor general building condition (which might mean problems with a combination of items, such as roofs, windows and heating systems). This figure is derived from the 1,200 schools that responsible bodies have nominated, or...
Matched on
terms: school
Committee recommendation
61match
#20 - DfE previously agreed to urgently chase non-responsive schools on asbestos survey
In March 2022, we noted that we had previously found DfE did not have a complete picture of asbestos in school buildings, or enough information to ensure that the risks were being properly managed. We concluded that DfE appeared unconcerned that the 7% of schools who were yet to respond to its asbestos survey launched in March 2018...
Matched on
terms: school
Committee recommendation
61match
#5 - DfE made advances in RAAC response, but sustained implementation is still required.
We recognise the substantial efforts undertaken since 2023 to safeguard pupils and staff, and to restore continuity of learning in settings affected by RAAC. The Department has improved guidance, begun to professionalise 18 estate capability, strengthened resilience arrangements, and committed to greater transparency through the development of a live digital platform. These are important advances. However, further consolidation...
Matched on
terms: estate
Committee recommendation
60match
#19 - DfE expects RAAC issues to resolve within weeks, with variable timeframes for complex cases
We asked DfE about when all RAAC-related issues on the school estate might be resolved, given that members of the government had talked in early September about the timeframe being a matter of weeks. DfE expressed confidence that it would receive all the remaining questionnaire returns, and carry out the necessary specialist surveys, within a small number of...
Matched on
terms: estate, school
Committee recommendation
60match
#17 - 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 normal, and the number of specialist surveys that were outstanding. In each case, DfE responded that it could...
Matched on
terms: management, school
Committee recommendation
60match
#4 - Require DfE to provide a detailed assessment of the RAAC problem, plan, and associated costs.
There remains a lack of transparency for schools, parents and communities on where RAAC exists and how long it will take to be fixed. DfE was unable to provide answers to important questions such as how many specialist surveys to confirm RAAC are outstanding and likely to be carried out, or how many pupils were affected by RAAC-related...
Matched on
terms: management, school
PFD report
57match
Nasar Ahmed
A school nurse's inadequate medication review process included using an incorrect allergy action plan, not verifying medication in school, and failing to ensure updated, in-date medication.
Matched on
terms: school
LGO / SPSO decision
55match
202209886 - Aberdeen City Council
C complained that the council and school staff failed to reasonably respond or act when C told them about domestic violence witnessed by their child (A). C said that the council had breached their duty of care and Child Protection obligations in respect of A by ignoring C’s concerns about the domestic abuse that they were suffering and...
Matched on
terms: failure, school
Committee recommendation
53match
#3 - RAAC remediation caused stress and learning disruption; temporary fixes are inadequate.
However, the process has not been without cost. For school leaders, teachers, and above all pupils, the experience has been stressful and has affected learning and well-being. In those schools where RAAC remains an ongoing issue, temporary solutions cannot substitute for permanent fixes. (Conclusion, Paragraph 32)
Matched on
terms: school
Committee recommendation
53match
#21 - 4th Report - Game On: Community and school sport
We heard mixed views about the merits of the Opening School Facilities Fund. We are concerned, however, that the closure of the fund, without a replacement, has left facilities underused despite clear demand from young people. (Conclusion, Paragraph 62)
Matched on
terms: school
Committee recommendation
52match
#24 - Teacher deaths from asbestos-related mesothelioma are rising, linked to historic exposure levels
We asked about the information DfE holds on the number of teaching staff who have died from asbestos-related conditions. DfE explained that the Health and Safety Executive reviews death certificates to produce data on the last known profession of people who have died. DfE stated that it reviews the ages of those who have died from mesothelioma and...
Matched on
terms: school
Committee recommendation
52match
#3 - Re-examine DfE's funding process for temporary RAAC mitigation, ensuring accessibility and value for money.
Schools are uncertain about the support they can access to mitigate RAAC-related issues, and how they will be reimbursed financially. The temporary classrooms that DfE is providing will generally be for those schools that were known to be affected by RAAC before the late August 2023 change of risk approach. DfE could not provide us with a figure...
Matched on
terms: school
Inquiry recommendation
52match
SP21 - School monitoring and filtering systems guidance
The Department for Education should review and strengthen its guidance to schools on monitoring and filtering systems, including ensuring that the systems used are appropriate and adequate from a technical perspective. The department should ensure schools understand these requirements and consider whether inspections by Ofsted should play a greater role in monitoring compliance.
Matched on
terms: school