
In recent years, the poor condition of many schools across the UK has been highlighted across the news and more people are becoming aware of the dire conditions many of these schools are experiencing.
A BBC article states the following “The DfE says £5.3bn is needed each year to maintain schools in England, but it has only been allocated about £3bn by the treasury”. This only means that the government are not meeting the requirements of the schools in need, allowing for the backlog of issues to continue progressing into poorer conditions.
Through our role in acting as agent for many educational establishments when applying for the Condition Improvement Fund, we have seen first-hand how these poor conditions are directly impacting the staff and students. Some schools are so cold, that children must keep their coats on all day in winter, and struggle to write. This is due to the coldness of their hands, and greatly impacting their ability to concentrate. Not only are the school buildings themselves failing, but the quality of education the students are receiving is feeling the effects too.
In 2021, the government published results of their conditions survey of almost every school in England and graded them in four categories. A school in Budleigh Salterton was rated grade A, meaning it had been assessed as in the best possible condition. The Head Teacher advised that the report was incorrect, as the school has three classrooms which are just sheds and are not fit for purpose. This shows that the condition reports completed by the DFE are not a sufficient survey to accurately assess the conditions of the schools.
At Kenneth and Edwards, we pride ourselves on carrying out extensive school condition surveys, which detect a range of issues, not leaving any stone unturned. We base many of the Condition Improvement Fund applications upon the findings in our reports, which have provided the necessary supporting evidence, to allow our clients to obtain the funding they need to complete urgent repairs to their schools.
We are currently offering a 25% discount on School Condition Surveys for new customers in the education sector until the end of February 2024. This offer is available to all educational providers. Please get in touch with us to discuss your concerns and requirements.