Recommendation 19

The Department told us that it does not collect data on the suitability of facilities in the same way that it does for the condition of the schools estate, and does not systematically collect information on capital projects aimed at improving educational outcomes, such as science labs. It explained that these facilities are taken into account by Ofsted when assessing a school’s performance, and we noted that a school’s rating will sometimes be 39 Committee of Public Accounts, Academy schools’ finances, Thirtieth Report of Session 2017–19, HC 760, 30 March 2018 40 HM Treasury, Treasury Minutes – Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Twentieth to the Thirtieth reports from Session 2017–19, Cm 9618, May 2018 41 Academy schools sector in England: Consolidated Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 August 2020, pages 24–25 42 Q78 43 Academy schools sector in England: Consolidated Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 August 2020, page 93 44 Qq 98–98 45 Condition of School Building Survey: Key findings, May 2021, p.4 46 Q100; Department for Education Main Estimate 2021–22: Estimates memorandum, para 1.4 Academies Sector Annual Report and Accounts 2019/20 15 downgraded because it has small or old classrooms, for example.47 We had previously challenged the Department on the buildings data it collected, noting that in some instances there may be no issue with the condition of the school building but the conditions for learning may not be fit for purpose.48 We asked the Department how it considered whether it would get better educational outcomes as a result of the investment as part of schools’ bids for funding. It accepted that it had a better and more detailed understanding on the condition and funding for the maintenance of schools that are in poor condition than it did for the suitability of facilities. It explained that, while it considered suitability important, it was difficult to prioritise that over other concerns such a