Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Second Report - The condition of school buildings
Public Accounts Committee
HC 78
Published 19 November 2023
Recommendations
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 …
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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.
HM Treasury
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9
Accepted
Review DfE guidance, support, and funding to improve school building condition and estate management.
Recommendation
There is considerable variation across the school estate, including regional disparity in the condition of school buildings and differences in school types and governance models, which will influence the type of support DfE needs to provide. The map of school …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and aims for implementation by March 2025. It confirms it keeps its capital funding, guidance, and support under review, with data from Condition Data Collection 2 (CDC2) informing potential changes to the allocation methodology for 2025-26.
HM Treasury
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Conclusions (40)
2
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepted, agreeing to clarify risk appetite with risks owned at Director General level, but did not commit to a clear timeline or financial plan for eradicating RAAC, stating technical advice does not recommend removal in all cases.
3
Conclusion
Accepted
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. …
Government Response Summary
The government accepted the recommendation, stating it funds emergency capital works and reasonable revenue costs for RAAC mitigation, provides dedicated caseworkers, and keeps processes under review to ensure accessibility and value for money.
4
Conclusion
Accepted
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, …
Government Response Summary
The government accepted the recommendation and committed to writing to the Committee alongside the Treasury Minute publication with an assessment of the RAAC problem, its plan, and associated costs.
5
Conclusion
Accepted
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation, stating the ongoing Condition Data Collection 2 (CDC2) programme will collect full asbestos data and review management plans by December 2026. This programme has already reduced non-responders to 3.9% and aims for a full dataset by 2026.
6
Conclusion
Accepted
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, …
Government Response Summary
The government claims the recommendation is implemented, highlighting existing extensive guidance and support such as the Good Estate Management for Schools manual and the Capital Advisers Programme. It states it keeps its guidance under review but does not commit to developing a new package of support within the next year.
8
Conclusion
Accepted
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and aims for implementation by December 2024, stating the School Rebuilding Programme robustly manages risks through continuous monitoring and regular IPA gateway reviews. It highlights that the NAO noted steps already taken to address delays and that overall progress is on track.
10
Conclusion
Not Addressed
It is unclear whether decisions concerned with addressing the condition of the estate are coordinated with those relating to the need for school places. Historically, there have been instances of school closures just before another demographic wave of children that means more school places have to be created. More recently, …
Government Response Summary
The government response addresses unrelated conclusions and recommendations from the Public Accounts Committee regarding the Health Transformation Programme and disability benefits, failing to address the recommendation concerning school places and estate management by the DfE.
1
Conclusion
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 …
11
Conclusion
Accepted
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government states the RAAC identification programme is complete, with all suspected cases surveyed and a final list of confirmed cases published on 8 February 2024, indicating that schools are no longer waiting for surveys.
12
Conclusion
Accepted
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government states that it has committed to permanently remove RAAC from the school estate and confirmed how it will fund schools for this on 8 February 2024, through grants or the School Rebuilding Programme. This directly addresses the committee's observation that DfE had not proactively set out funding commitments.
13
Conclusion
Acknowledged
We asked DfE about the temporary classrooms it was providing for schools unable to use some of their space because of RAAC. It told us that it had three central contracts in place to supply temporary classrooms, but in general they would initially be provided to schools where the presence …
Government Response Summary
The government states it is funding emergency capital works, including temporary buildings, and provides dedicated support to schools with confirmed RAAC to ensure face-to-face education. However, it does not provide the specific number of temporary classrooms supplied, which the committee noted DfE could not previously provide.
14
Conclusion
Acknowledged
DfE explained that it hoped to use the central contracts to enable speedier delivery of temporary classrooms to all RAAC-affected schools who needed them, and to pay for them centrally—including for specialist equipment within the classroom where 17 September 2023 session, Qq 117, 140–141 18 September 2023 session, Qq 121, …
Government Response Summary
The government states it is funding emergency works, including temporary buildings, and has assigned caseworkers to support schools with bespoke plans. It highlights efforts to process requests quickly, ensure processes are not burdensome, and arrange urgent payments, implying improvements to the support system.
15
Conclusion
Accepted
DfE told us that, where a school hires portable classrooms, this counts as revenue expenditure. In this case, DfE checks that the expenditure is reasonable and the school does not have high levels of reserves from which it should be providing the funding itself.25 DfE also explained that it would …
Government Response Summary
The government reiterates its policy of funding emergency capital works and approving all reasonable requests for revenue costs, such as temporary buildings or transport. It emphasizes streamlining processes, working closely with schools, and providing urgent payments when necessary, aligning with its commitment to meet reasonable costs with generosity.
16
Conclusion
Accepted
DfE told us that it assigned a caseworker to each school affected by RAAC. Schools can liaise with their caseworker about buildings, finances or educational matters.28 However, we challenged DfE with evidence that the system was not working perfectly. For example, it took some time for caseworkers to be given …
Government Response Summary
The government states it is already funding emergency RAAC works, approving revenue cost requests, providing dedicated caseworker support to schools for bespoke plans and funding access, and has committed to permanently removing RAAC through grants or rebuilding programmes.
17
Conclusion
Acknowledged
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. …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the observation but commits only to writing to the Committee alongside the publication of the Treasury Minute, without specifying a strategy for regular public information on RAAC.
18
Conclusion
Acknowledged
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the observation but commits only to writing to the Committee alongside the publication of the Treasury Minute, without offering further specific updates or actions.
19
Conclusion
Accepted
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government states that the RAAC identification programme is complete, a final list of 234 affected settings was published on 8 February 2024, and funding for permanent RAAC removal will be provided through the School Rebuilding Programme for 119 schools and grant funding for 110 schools.
20
Conclusion
Accepted
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the recommendation, stating the AMAP survey is now part of the Condition Data Collection 2 (CDC2) programme. As of January 2024, 631 non-responding schools have been visited, and the full dataset for all schools will be available by the target implementation date of December 2026.
21
Conclusion
Accepted
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government details its ongoing Condition Data Collection 2 (CDC2) programme, which has visited 631 non-responding schools as of January 2024 to collect asbestos data, with the full dataset expected by December 2026.
22
Conclusion
Accepted
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government outlines its ongoing approach to asbestos management through legal duties, HSE regulation, published guidance, and the Condition Data Collection 2 (CDC2) programme, which is collecting data from state-funded schools and is expected to be completed by 2026. It doesn't specifically address the concern about CDC2's detail compared to previous surveys.
23
Conclusion
Accepted
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government reaffirms its policy for responsible bodies to manage asbestos safely in situ when possible, guided by HSE regulations and departmental guidance, and continues to gather comprehensive data on asbestos through the CDC2 programme, expected to complete by 2026.
24
Conclusion
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 …
25
Conclusion
Accepted
DfE believes that poor quality school buildings have a negative impact in important ways, including by reducing pupil attainment levels and teacher retention. Stakeholders across the sector also emphasise how buildings being too hot or cold, insufficient ventilation, and disruption caused by parts of a school being unusable, can adversely …
Government Response Summary
The government states that responsible bodies are accountable for safe buildings, and it provides case-by-case support for serious issues. It has allocated over £15 billion since 2015 for school estate improvement, including the School Rebuilding Programme, and provides extensive guidance and support to the sector.
26
Conclusion
Rejected
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government rejects the interpretation of the 700,000 pupils figure, explaining it is often misinterpreted because it includes all pupils in self-nominated schools for the School Rebuilding Programme, even if only part of the estate is in poor condition.
27
Conclusion
We asked DfE whether the 64,000 buildings on the school estate include temporary buildings, Portakabins and similar blocks. It replied that the first Condition Data Collection programme (CDC1), from which the total number of buildings was derived, did include such buildings. DfE later clarified that the CDC1 visits, which took …
28
Conclusion
Not Addressed
DfE told us that its CDC1 programme involved giving a ‘grade’ to every building component within each school. There were four available grades, from A to D, with grades C and D denoting a less than satisfactory condition. DfE explained that it gave a grade C to 2.1% of components, …
Government Response Summary
The government response provides statistics on the school estate's condition and states that CDC2 is underway to provide updated data, but does not address the committee's concerns about prioritisation decisions or the risk of considering only known issues.
29
Conclusion
Accepted
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, …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's statement and clarifies that it already takes immediate action on serious building safety issues, with support for responsible bodies, and demonstrated this with its response to RAAC risks.
30
Conclusion
Accepted
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government states it robustly assesses nominations for the School Rebuilding Programme based on greatest need and exceptional issues, confirming that the programme now includes over 500 schools, including those with RAAC, and that 400 schools were selected ahead of schedule.
31
Conclusion
Acknowledged
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's observation and, while citing existing guidance and support for estate management, states it is considering how to further clarify roles and support responsible bodies to manage estates effectively for the long-term, with a target implementation date of February 2025.
32
Conclusion
Accepted
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees to the recommendation, stating it continues to engage with the Government Actuary Department to review fire data and the impact of sprinklers, and will include a response in the new Fire Safety guidance (BB100) expected by September 2024.
33
Conclusion
Accepted
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the committee's observation, attributes past delays in contract awards to unforeseen global events, and states it has already taken steps to address these issues, with the programme now on track to deliver as planned and projects progressing faster than expected.
34
Conclusion
Accepted
DfE told us that in its building programmes, and particularly the School Rebuilding Programme, it had taken longer to agree contracts because of inflationary pressures in the building industry.54 DfE explained that it had responded by amending its funding policies, and developing an ‘alliance model’ involving risk-sharing and greater elements …
Government Response Summary
The government states it has already taken steps to address delays caused by inflationary pressures, including changing project funding policy, and is now seeing a more stable position with overall progress on track and projects being delivered faster than expected.
35
Conclusion
We have previously examined how external factors, such as inflation and higher price levels, can affect the cost schedule of projects and also the timeframes involved. We have seen how inflation can be largely driven by supply chain issues, meaning the consequences can be complicated and different for each project. …
36
Conclusion
Deferred
We asked DfE about the geographical divide in the condition of schools which manifests itself in two main ways: schools in the north of England appear to generally be in worse condition than those in the south; and schools in rural and coastal areas face more significant challenges than those …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the committee's observation and explains that its capital funding programs are already targeted on need; it states that data from CDC2, available in 2024, will inform capital funding policy and potential changes to the allocation methodology for the 2025-26 financial year.
37
Conclusion
DfE analysed the 1,000 schools with the highest level of need in terms of the condition of their buildings, and found that in 345 cases the responsible body did not make an application for the School Rebuilding Programme. In 2021, it also analysed why schools most needing maintenance and repair …
38
Conclusion
In its written submission, the Catholic Education Service argued that multi-academy trust funding for school buildings should be given directly to dioceses, to replicate the economies of scale and scope for longer-term strategic interventions that have been achieved with voluntary-aided schools.60 We noted how voluntary-aided schools (which are generally faith-based …
39
Conclusion
We noted that there is a diminishing number of schools under local authority control, and that, given their number of schools, 10 local authorities would not reach the threshold to receive maintenance and repair funding directly if they were a multi-academy trust. We asked DfE whether it was providing these …
40
Conclusion
Accepted
We expressed concern about whether decisions relating to falling school rolls and improving the condition of schools are sufficiently joined-up across different local authorities and trusts. Historically, there have been school closures due to falling rolls, followed soon after by another demographic wave of pupils which means that more school …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's concern and states that local authorities already have a statutory duty for school places and manage demand, while also highlighting the provision of revenue funding through the Dedicated Schools Grant, which now includes specific allocations and greater flexibilities for managing falling rolls and reducing surplus places.
41
Conclusion
Not Addressed
For maintained schools, the lead decision-maker about educational provision and the upkeep of buildings is the local authority, which retains responsibility for sufficiency of school places. DfE told us that its regional directors do not typically play a strong role in decisions about school closures, although they engage with maintained …
Government Response Summary
The government reiterates that local authorities have the statutory duty for school places and manage demand, with recent changes to Dedicated Schools Grant providing flexibility for falling rolls, but the response does not address DfE regional directors' roles or the exploration of alternative uses for school space.
42
Conclusion
Accepted
DfE reassured us that, when selecting schools for the School Rebuilding Programme, it considers the likely future pattern of pupil numbers, to avoid prioritising schools that are struggling to attract pupils and therefore do not warrant a full rebuild.65 It also emphasised that, ideally, there should be more school places …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's observation, stating that local authorities already consider pupil numbers and forecast demand when planning school places, supported by existing funding and new flexibilities through the Dedicated Schools Grant.