By David
Fugurally, Head of School Estate Management Standards,
Competencies & Skills
The new School Estate Management Standards provide a
clear framework to help school leaders and estates management
professionals manage their school estates well. In this blog
David Fugurally, Head of School Estate Management Standards,
Competencies & Skills, explains how they will benefit your
school.
At the Department for Education (DfE) we are dedicated to
breaking down the barriers to opportunity and creating chances
for all children and learners to achieve and thrive.
A well-managed and well-maintained school site provides the
fundamental environment necessary to achieve this, and our
ambition to deliver the best education to our children and to
give them the best start in life.
Keeping estates operational and safe for pupils, and staff, is a
complex undertaking, involving a huge number of vital functions,
processes and planning delivered by experienced and qualified
professionals.
The Department is committed to working with schools to support
them in the good work they already do to manage their sites
effectively.
However, many have told us that the vast amount of guidance and
regulation that is available can often be overwhelming and
unclear, particularly for schools that are at the start of their
journey to fully effective estate management.
That's why we have published the new School Estate Management
Standards, bringing together in one succinct and
easy-to-understand document the key points of existing government
guidance, other advice and regulation.
Comprehensive support package
They will now sit alongside the Estate Management Competency
Framework(published June 2023), as part of our comprehensive
support package for schools.
The management standards focus on putting the right processes in
place, while the competency framework is about having the right
people in post and building their relevant knowledge and
skills.
The new standards, developed in collaboration with schools and
sector representatives, clarify the department's expectations of
schools and responsible bodies (RBs) and represent a structured
approach to estate management.
They are designed to help schools prioritise projects within
their estate, build on good practice, and meet legal
requirements, and address key areas including:
- Strategic estate management
- Planning and organising estate resources
- Health and safety compliance
- Sustainability and carbon reduction
- Digital technology integration
The document is full of practical advice on the basics of
managing a school estate, and how to progress to fully achieving
effective practice. It also signposts users to additional expert
advice - such as the Good Estate Management for
Schools manual (GEMS).
Enhance how you manage your school estate
Our aim is to support all schools in a practical and
non-judgemental way, to understand where to start, how to
progress, and how to make best use of the wealth of guidance
available.
The estate management standards represent a significant
opportunity to enhance how you manage your school estate. By
providing a clear framework for progression through four distinct
levels, from essential practices to advanced management, they
will help ensure your estate supports safe, effective learning
environments while meeting legal requirements.
-
Baseline: Essential practices that all schools
should have in place as a starting point, including legally
required elements
-
Transitioning: Key transition points in good
practice as schools develop their estate management
capabilities
-
Fully Effective: All components needed for
effective estate management
-
Advanced: Additional activities for schools
aiming to become sector leaders in estate management
All schools should aim to reach at least Level 3 (Fully
Effective) with Level 4 (Advanced) representing an opportunity to
become sector leaders in estate management, if this aligns with
your strategic aims.
These clearly defined levels allow you to assess your current
practices; identify areas for improvement; plan strategic
development of your capabilities and document progress for
governors, trustees and inspectors.
Further support is available by joining The
Trust Network, a DfE-backed body committed to supporting
school estates managers to create and maintain environments that
enhance teaching and learning. Membership is free and provides
professionals with networking opportunities, regular updates,
access to exclusive webinars, and much more.
At the department we are hugely appreciative of everything that
you do to ensure our school sites are safe and support our
children and young people and all those who work with them.
These standards have been created as a direct result of your
feedback and collaboration, and we hope that you will find this
new resource beneficial in supporting that vital work.
Download and read the School Estate
Management Standards document now –
and use it as a valuable tool to support the effective management
of your school estate.
