WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY....


CONFIDENT OR CONFUSED? HOW SCHOOLS ARE REALLY RESPONDING TO THE


EDUCATION ESTATES STRATEGY


Comment by LUKE PARGETER, CEO at iAM Compliant W


hen the Department for Education (DfE) published its Education Estates Strategy earlier this year, much of the attention focused on its ambition to deliver a decade of renewal for England’s school estate. It sets out a long-term vision for safer, better maintained and more sustainable schools, underpinned by stronger data, improved governance and more targeted investment. Few would argue with those ambitions. Every child deserves to learn in a building that is safe, warm and fit for purpose. What the strategy also signals, however, is a significant shift in expectations for responsible bodies. Estates management is no longer simply about fixing problems when they arise. It is becoming a strategic discipline that relies on robust evidence, long-term planning and demonstrable compliance.


The conversations with schools and trusts over recent months suggest that the sector is beginning to split into two distinct groups: those who are confident they are ready for what comes next, and those who are still trying to make sense of what the strategy means in practice. A growing divide


Across the sector there are schools with mature estates functions, experienced leadership teams and clear governance structures. They already understand the condition of their buildings, have reliable compliance processes and can indicate where investment is needed. Equally, there are many schools that are still operating reactively. Their estates teams are juggling with competing priorities, managing ageing buildings, responding to urgent repairs and trying to keep schools compliant with limited time and resources.


Information is often dispersed across multiple spreadsheets, paper records and various software platforms, making it difficult to build a complete picture of their estate.


Neither situation is necessarily a reflection of ambition. Rather, it reflects the different stages of maturity that schools or trusts have reached, influenced by factors such as historic investment, available expertise and organisational capacity.


The Education Estate Strategy is likely to make those differences much more visible.


Moving beyond firefighting


For many years, estates management has understandably focused on immediate operational needs.


If a roof is leaking, heating fails or compliance work becomes urgent, those issues take priority. However, operating in permanent firefighting mode leaves little opportunity to step back and plan strategically. The new strategy signals that this mindset is no longer enough. Alongside day-to-day compliance, trusts will increasingly be expected to understand the long-term condition of their estate, prioritise investment over five- and ten-year horizons and prove that decisions are based on reliable evidence.


Estates are no longer simply an operational function sitting behind teaching and learning. They are becoming a strategic asset that directly supports educational outcomes, organisational resilience and financial sustainability.


Data is becoming the foundation of investment Perhaps the most significant shift within the strategy is its emphasis on data.


October 2026


Future investment decisions are expected to be increasingly informed by condition surveys, assurance activities and evidence that responsible bodies understand the risks across their estate.


Historically, securing capital funding has often involved demonstrating need through local knowledge and professional judgement. Those elements remain important, but they are increasingly being supported by evidence.


In other words, it is no longer enough to say a building needs investment. Organisations will need to demonstrate why, supported by credible, auditable information.


That creates an opportunity, but it could also create a divide. Schools with high-quality estates data will be better positioned to prioritise investment, respond confidently to audits and make stronger business cases for funding. Those without that visibility may struggle to evidence their requirements as effectively. Governance is changing too


The strategy also places greater emphasis on governance; boards and trustees will need confidence that estate risks are understood, managed and properly evidenced.


For some schools and trusts this represents a natural progression. Estates already feature regularly within board discussions and long-term planning. For others, it may require a cultural shift.


Historically, estates have often been viewed primarily as an operational responsibility. Yet as expectations around compliance, sustainability and investment continue to grow, leadership teams will need greater visibility of the information that underpins strategic decisions. That means moving beyond individual knowledge and creating consistent organisational intelligence that can be shared, reported and scrutinised.


The opportunity ahead


It would be easy to view the Education Estates Strategy simply as another layer of responsibility for already stretched schools. But, a more constructive way to see it is an opportunity to modernise how school estates are managed.


Many of the building blocks already exist. Good Estate Management for Schools and the School Estates Management Standards (SEMS) have established clear expectations around competency, governance and maintenance. The new strategy builds on those foundations by encouraging trusts to connect operational activity with strategic planning and evidence-based decision making.


The schools and trusts that are likely to benefit most will not necessarily be those with the biggest estate teams or budgets. They will be the organisations that can clearly show the condition of their estate, understand future risks and use reliable data to inform investment decisions.


Ultimately, the Education Estates Strategy is about far more than buildings. It is about creating learning environments where pupils can thrive, staff can work with confidence and responsible bodies can make informed decisions for the future.


For schools still relying on disconnected systems and reactive maintenance, the challenge is significant. For those ready to embrace a more strategic, data-led approach, it represents an opportunity to move from simply managing estates to leading them.


www.education-today.co.uk 29


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