Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Accepted
Establish a strategy for timely school repairs and reconsider fire safety value for money analysis.
Recommendation
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 billion a year – allowing it to rebuild 50 schools a year, rather than the 200 a year that it set out it in its Spending Review 2020 case. A significant number of the schools chosen for DfE’s latest capital programme—the School Rebuilding Programme—have been selected in response to structural or safety issues that responsible bodies have identified as serious enough to mean buildings are at risk of closure or pose a risk to staff and pupils. DfE told us that many of the 100 schools still to be selected for the programme will be chosen because they have serious issues with RAAC. As such, many other schools will not get on to the School Rebuilding Programme even though a longer- term value for money assessment based on their poor condition would lead to the conclusion that they should be rebuilt. With regard to fire safety measures, DfE’s cost-benefit calculations often lead it to opt for expensive retrofitting rather than initial inclusion in a new school design which is cheaper. Recommendation 7: Within the next year, DfE should set out its strategy for encouraging responsible bodies to carry out timely and effective repairs to better protect longer-term value for money. It should also reconsider its value for money analysis on fitting fire safety measures.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and aims for implementation by February 2025. It states it is considering how to further clarify roles and support responsible bodies in managing estates effectively for the long-term, building on existing guidance and programmes. The response does not explicitly address reconsidering value for money analysis on fire safety measures.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
7.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: February 2025 7.2 The department expects responsible bodies to maintain their estates in a safe condition, compliant with relevant regulations, and to plan management of their assets to deliver value for money. The department already provides extensive guidance on effective and strategic estate management through its Good estate management for schools manual, which is regularly updated – and emphasises the need for strategic planning and prioritisation of investment over time to deliver value for money, as well as ensuring effective maintenance and checks, to minimise deterioration and issues with buildings. 7.3 In June 2023, the department published the Estate management competency framework. This sets out the skills and knowledge needed to manage school estates at all levels, from operational staff through to leadership. The Capital Advisers Programme (CAP) offers bespoke recommendations from experienced technical advisers and aims to help responsible bodies achieve safe, well-maintained buildings through effective practice and efficient use of funding. The department is expanding the number of trusts included in 2023- 24 with potential scope to expand further in 2024-25. 7.4 The department’s funding methodology aims to aggregate available funding in into larger pots which can then be prioritised across groups of schools in the most efficient way, according to need. This may include concentrating funding on larger projects when required. The department’s rebuilding programmes also replace buildings in the worst condition, freeing up responsible bodies to use their capital funding to address wider priorities. 7.5 While existing guidance and programmes support strategic management of the estate, the department keeps its approach under review. The department recognises there is some variability in the approach taken by different responsible bodies. It is considering how it may further clarify their roles and support responsible bodies to manage their estates effectively for the long-term.