Recommendations & Conclusions
4 items
4
Recommendation
Forty-Seventh Report - Academies Sector…
Not Addressed
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 …
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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 has developed its understanding of how well asbestos is managed in schools through its asbestos management assurance process launched in March 2018 but appears unconcerned Academies Sector Annual Report and Accounts 2019/20 7 that the 7% of schools yet to return their asbestos survey could be the worst affected schools without the budget to resolve this. The Department asserts that those schools yet to respond to the asbestos management survey would be picked up in the school condition survey. However, it has still not earmarked specific funding for asbestos management, or determined whether this is a barrier to schools engaging with the Department on asbestos risks. Recommendation: The Department should urgently chase the remaining 7% of schools who are yet to respond to the asbestos management survey. The Department should write to the Committee within six months setting out its full understanding of asbestos across the estate, detailing the asbestos risk arising from the non- responders, along with its plans to manage the asbestos risk in schools.
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Government response AI summary
The government response does not address the recommendation about asbestos in schools. It provides an unrelated comment about waiting times for elective and cancer treatment.
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HM Treasury
7
Conclusion
Forty-Seventh Report - Academies Sector…
Not Addressed
The Department and ESFA work closely with Regional Schools Commissioners to oversee and support the sector. Regional Schools Commissioners currently operate across eight regions in England.14 The Department stated that it was looking at the split between regional areas and whether these could be better aligned with the regional split …
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The Department and ESFA work closely with Regional Schools Commissioners to oversee and support the sector. Regional Schools Commissioners currently operate across eight regions in England.14 The Department stated that it was looking at the split between regional areas and whether these could be better aligned with the regional split used elsewhere in government, including by Ofsted. The Department told us the main difference would be for London to become its own region, whereas it is currently split between three districts.15
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Government response AI summary
The department is working with Falcon Education Academies Trust and St Joseph’s Catholic MAT to pilot a new approach for schools that cannot be placed with a strong MAT sponsor and Regional Directors will engage local partners to determine the best way to develop a …
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HM Treasury
18
Conclusion
Forty-Seventh Report - Academies Sector…
Not Addressed
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 …
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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 different to the schools estate as whole, which tended to relate to age and construction of buildings. It explained that it had looked at the condition of buildings across the whole school estate using its condition data collection exercise over 2017–19.44 The latest condition survey results estimated that it would cost £11.4 billion to repair or replace defective elements in the school estate.45 The Department is providing £5.6 billion of capital funding to the education sector in 2021–22, of which £1.8 billion is specifically for maintaining and improving the condition of school buildings and £0.8 billion for new school places.46
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Government response AI summary
The government response addresses a different PAC recommendation (PAC recommendation 3) regarding collecting and publishing data on pupil access to learning facilities, which it explicitly disagrees with. It describes existing efforts on estate data collection, but does not directly engage with the provided conclusion #18's …
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HM Treasury
24
Conclusion
Forty-Seventh Report - Academies Sector…
Not Addressed
When we last reported on the academy accounts, back in January 2019, we were reporting on a SARA that carried forward a qualified audit opinion since its inception in 2015/16 due to a limitation of data available to verify the fair recognition and valuation of the £45 billion of land …
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When we last reported on the academy accounts, back in January 2019, we were reporting on a SARA that carried forward a qualified audit opinion since its inception in 2015/16 due to a limitation of data available to verify the fair recognition and valuation of the £45 billion of land and buildings making up the academy estate.65 These historic issues have since been addressed, and the Department undertakes its own programme of revaluations using qualified surveyors.66 The Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) has also received a qualified audit opinion since the inception of the SARA due to the differing financial year-ends, which is yet to be fully resolved – the academy sector reports on an academic year basis, whereas the WGA, in line with the majority of government accounts, reports on a financial year basis i.e., to 31 March. The Department has deemed it not practical to change the academies year-end, given the disruption it would have to the sector and misalignment it would cause in financial planning and management for a sector that operates using the academic year.67
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Government response AI summary
The government's response focuses on asbestos management and condition data collection, which is unrelated to the committee's conclusion about the Whole of Government Accounts and academy year-end reporting.
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HM Treasury