Rise in Education Project Starts Amid Mixed Construction Activity
UK construction data for the three months to January 2026, as reported by Glenigan and echoed in Construction News analysis, reveals a 29 per cent year-on-year increase in education project starts, signalling robust demand for school and college buildings.
This surge contrasts with a 28 per cent decline in main contract awards, reflecting cautious procurement amid high costs, economic uncertainty, and tighter pipelines in other sectors. The uptick aligns closely with government investment, including the expanded School Rebuilding Programme, £38 billion in estates funding through to 2029/30, and targeted RAAC removal efforts.
Activity centres on RAAC mitigations, major refurbishments, new inclusive SEND spaces, and resilience upgrades. Schools accounted for the largest share of starts (£873 million, 72 per cent), growing 33 per cent year-on-year. Industry analysts view this as positive momentum for 2026, despite broader sector challenges such as overall output declines and private sector caution.
Enhanced frameworks like CF25, digital tools including the forthcoming Manage Your Education Estate platform, and sustained public funding are expected to support conversion of opportunities into sustained growth and on-site delivery across England’s education estate. The strong performance of education starts provides clear evidence that public-sector investment acts as a stabilising force within the wider construction industry. The education pipeline remains resilient thanks to multi-year funding commitments and the expanded School Rebuilding Programme.
The £873 million recorded for school projects highlights the scale of activity already underway, concentrated on RAAC mitigations, major refurbishments, new inclusive SEND spaces, and resilience upgrades.
The combination of the new CF25 framework and the digital management platform will help convert early starts into completed projects more efficiently. For contractors and supply-chain partners this sustained demand offers a reliable base for planning and expertise development in education-specific construction. Regional variations show particularly strong growth in areas with high RAAC incidence.
Overall the data paints an optimistic picture for 2026, with education construction poised to deliver lasting improvements to the nation’s school estate while aligning with the ten-year strategy and net-zero priorities.
New School Construction Framework Targets High-Value Education Projects
The Department for Education’s Construction Framework 2025 (CF25), valued at £15.4 billion, has been established to deliver a wide range of school and college projects starting from January 2026. Operating as a closed framework under the Procurement Act 2023, it replaces the previous CF21 and supports the Education Estates Strategy by streamlining procurement for new builds, rebuilds, extensions, refurbishments, and upgrades across England’s education sector.
CF25 is divided into two value bands: a high-value band for projects exceeding £12 million (and over 2,500m² GIFA), and a low- value band for schemes between £4.4 million and £12 million (extendable up to £15 million in some cases, below 2,500m² GIFA). It comprises 10 regional lots covering England, enabling local authorities, academy trusts, and other public bodies to appoint contractors efficiently.
Twenty-three major contractors, including Galliford Try, Morgan Sindall, Kier, and others, have secured places, with many appointed to high-value lots nationwide and select low-value regional lots (such as London, South East, and South West). The framework runs for six years from 5 January 2026 to 5 January 2032, with the option to extend by up to two years to 2034. This structure provides long-term stability for planning, supports RAAC responses, condition improvements, and net-zero-aligned delivery under the £38 billion estates investment push.
The introduction of CF25 streamlines procurement for the Education Estates Strategy across new builds, rebuilds, extensions, refurbishments and upgrades. The two-band structure ensures flexibility for projects of different scales while the 10 regional lots promote efficient appointment of contractors.
The long duration with extension option gives responsible bodies the certainty needed to plan multi-phase programmes. The framework supports RAAC responses, condition improvements and net-zero-aligned delivery under the £38 billion estates investment push. By creating a pre-qualified pool of contractors the framework reduces the time and cost associated with individual tenders.
High-value lots will handle the largest rebuilding schemes while the low-value band supports more numerous smaller interventions that are vital for the overall estate. Regional lots keep economic benefits within communities. With the framework live from January 2026, many trusts and local authorities can prepare call-off contracts confident in the stability provided for the full period to 2034. CF25 is expected to play a central role in translating the government’s £38 billion investment into tangible improvements on the ground for the education estate.
News Spring 2026 issue 4183 7
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