Following the election, it has been a busy summer of announcements and as we enter the Autumn parliamentary session and party conference season, this will continue. While the challenges of the education estate are well-documented, for estates professionals, there has been little yet to indicate any substantial change in policy direction or funding.
However, the publication of the Academy Trust Handbook 2024 provided some initial clues. There is a new emphasis on keeping the school estate safe and well-maintained and for Trusts to take a strategic approach to good estate management. Of greater significance for leaders and estates professionals, a failure to do so could now result in a Notice to Improve.
Despite funding and resource constraints, this now firmly places an estate management duty on responsible bodies. To deliver on this, resources such as the DfE GEMS guidance and self-assessment toolkits will help you to review your estate management strategy. By acting now, your buildings will be safer, you will identify gaps or areas for improvement, and if required, able to seek additional external support.
Ahead of the Education Estates® Conference in October, I was interviewed about some of these issues, and you can find the recording here.
Jon Jones
Director, MAC Construction Consultants
September 2024
MAC Construction Consultants
