MAKING SCHOOL BUILDINGS MODERN AND FIT FOR PURPOSE

All pupils should be able to learn in buildings that are fit for purpose.

The School Rebuilding Programme is transforming hundreds of schools across the country and ensuring they are suitable for the future.

Here’s what you need to know.

What is the School Rebuilding Programme?

The School Rebuilding Programme carries out major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at school and sixth form college buildings across England.

Projects are prioritised according to the condition of buildings.

How many schools are being rebuilt?

Over the course of the decade 500 schools will benefit from the programme.

In December 2022 we announced that 239 new school buildings schools and sixth forms will benefit from renovation projects.

The new projects build on the 161 that had previously been announced, with construction works now nearing completion on the most advanced sites.

It means in total 400 out of the 500 schools and sixth forms have now been selected for rebuilds through the ten-year School Rebuilding Programme.

What will be different about the new schools?

All projects in the School Rebuilding Programme are built to the latest construction standards, resilient to climate risks, net-zero in operation, and include modern facilities to support a world-class education from classrooms and science labs to sports halls and dining rooms.

How do you decide which schools get to benefit from the School Rebuilding Programme?

We prioritise schools based on how immediate their need for improvement is.

We ran a public consultation on how we should decide which schools are in the greatest need and have developed the application process from that. The consultation findings can be found here: Prioritising schools for the School Rebuilding Programme – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

What else are doing to help improve school buildings?

In addition to the School Rebuilding Programme, we are continuing to invest in the school estate with annual capital funding.

Over £13 billion has been allocated since 2015 to maintain and improve school facilities across England, including £1.8 billion in financial year 2022-23.