Exterior Building Structures


How school building delays are holding pupils back


A


t the rate the government is currently rebuilding England’s most run-down schools, a school could wait 432 years for its turn. Calculated by Building Design from the government’s delivery rate of 50 schools a year against an estate of around 21,600 schools, the figure reflects the programme’s current pace.


The National Audit Office reported in 2023 that around 700,000 pupils were learning in schools needing major rebuilding or refurbishment, while more than a third of school buildings had passed their estimated design life. A 2025 Education Select Committee report cited the same 700,000 figure as still current.


By January 2025, the National Audit Office had identified a £13.8 billion maintenance backlog across the English school estate. The Department for Education’s own risk register also lists the chance of a structural building failure as “critical” and “very likely”.


Why the rebuilding programme is struggling to keep pace


The School Rebuilding Programme was established to address the worst cases, but has repeatedly missed its targets. The Public Accounts Committee has warned that it is struggling to deliver even the 50 schools a year promised, against an original assessment that closer to 200 were needed annually.


Capital spending on school buildings has also run below planned levels for three consecutive years, with the IFS attributing much of the shortfall to delays in the rebuilding programme. Funding allocations have also run


14


more than 40% below the government’s own assessment of what the estate needs.


What the wait means for pupils


Research on classroom environments links substandard conditions, including poor ventilation, inadequate heating and failing acoustics, to reductions in concentration, attendance and attainment.


A school waiting for a rebuild or refurbishment continues to operate with its existing facilities, meaning pupils can spend their entire school years in unsuitable buildings.


RAAC demonstrates how slowly the problem can be addressed once identified. Of the 237 schools in England confirmed to have affected concrete, 87% had still not had the work carried out more than a year after removal plans were announced in February 2024.


Where faster-build methods are making a difference


For schools that cannot wait years for a conventional rebuild, modular construction offers a way to bring new space into use sooner. Portakabin designs and delivers modular school buildings, manufactured off-site and installed once designs and groundworks are ready.


At Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School, significant structural defects were discovered in its sixth form building shortly before the new academic year. After receiving emergency funding, plans for a modular replacement were drawn up within two days, with the building installed and fitted out in time for the start of term.


Autumn 2026 issue 4185


Denis Oliver, Executive Head, said: “From the very beginning, Portakabin gave us complete confidence they could deliver exactly what we needed within our short timeframe.”


At Highgate Junior School in London, 65 modules were installed to create a complete two-storey facility during construction of a permanent building, providing classrooms, science laboratories, music rooms, a library, IT suite and staff facilities.


Nick Griffin, Divisional MD for GB Hire at Portakabin, says: “For schools, a construction delay is about far more than a project running behind schedule. It can mean another term, or even another academic year, of pupils learning without the space or facilities they need. Offsite construction offers a way to compress delivery programmes, with high-quality, compliant buildings manufactured away from the school before being installed quickly on site.”


A classroom that is ready when pupils need it


Any building used as a school, temporary or permanent, must meet the same regulatory standards, including Part M, the Equality Act, SENDA, Building Bulletins and BREEAM. A faster delivery method still has to meet the same requirements.


For the 700,000 pupils currently learning in schools that need major work, the practical question is how soon suitable teaching space can arrive. While the wider rebuilding programme may take years, faster-build methods can help provide safe, compliant learning environments in the meantime.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44