Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 11
11
Accepted
Provide targeted guidance, training, and funding for all responsible bodies to meet estate management standards.
Recommendation
We recommend that the DfE provide targeted guidance, training, and funding to ensure all responsible bodies, particularly smaller Multi- Academy Trusts, can meet estate management standards effectively. (Recommendation, Paragraph 51)
Government Response Summary
The government will set clear estate management standards and expectations, make guidance more accessible, and provide additional materials like a digital self-assessment tool. They will also ask responsible bodies to make an annual return to confirm they are meeting the School Estate Management Standard, and are investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034–35 in capital maintenance.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Recommendation: Accept Effective and proactive estate management is key to maintaining a high-quality estate and preventing issues materialising that can disrupt education. To support responsible bodies to manage their estates well we will set clear standards and expectations alongside making it easier for responsible bodies to access guidance, tools and information. We have already set out clear expectations in the School Estate Management Standards, published in April 2025. The School Estate Management Standards are designed for all schools and responsible bodies to manage their estate effectively, and to navigate, prioritise, and build on good practice requirements and expectations. The standards include a ‘fully effective’ standard for estate management that every responsible body for schools should aim to meet. From autumn 2026, we will ask responsible bodies to make an annual return via Manage Your Education Estate to confirm they are meeting the School Estate Management Standards. For those who are not meeting the standards, we will put in place an estate management capability support plan – an informal agreement with the responsible body setting out actions and support to bring estate management up to the expected standard within 12 months. We are developing an equivalent estate management standard for FE colleges by this summer to ensure all responsible bodies are fully supported to manage their estates well. We have launched a new digital service, Manage Your Education Estate for responsible bodies, schools and colleges to bring together the department’s estates-related guidance, data, tools, programmes and funding in one place. In addition to making it easier to access resources through Manage Your Education Estate, we will provide additional materials such as a digital self-assessment tool, templates, relevant data and practical examples of how to meet the Standards. The Government has given a long-term commitment backed by long- term funding through to 2034–35 to improve the condition of schools and colleges. The government is investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034–35 in capital maintenance, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025–26.