LocatED will move into the Department for Education by April 2026
to create better learning environments for pupils across England,
ensuring every child has access to high-quality school facilities
that support their educational achievement.
The integration will combine LocatED' s exceptional commercial
property expertise with the Department's deep understanding of
what schools need to deliver outstanding education, whilst
delivering maximum value for taxpayers.
This move follows the Cabinet Office review of all Arm's Length
Bodies across government announced in April 2025.
LocatED was established in 2017 to support the delivery of
world-class education settings across England including buying,
developing, and managing sites for schools and colleges as well
as strategic property advice to government and education bodies
to help build a more efficient education estate.
This move will bring LocatED's comprehensive property expertise
directly into the Department for Education, creating a unified
approach to managing and developing the education estate.
Department for Education Permanent Secretary, Susan
Acland-Hood, said:
LocatED will bring commercial property expertise into the heart
of the Department for Education to help us manage and transform
the education estate, make it sustainable, give great value to
the taxpayer, and support excellent outcomes for children and
young people. I'm delighted to be welcoming LocatED colleagues
even more closely into the Department.
, Chief Executive at LocatED,
said:
I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved since our
establishment in 2017. Our success has been built on the
specialist expertise of our team, our can-do approach to
problem-solving, and the strong relationships we've developed
with clients, partners and stakeholders.
Throughout this transition, our clients and partners can expect
the same high-quality service and expertise they've come to rely
on.
Both organisations will work closely together to ensure seamless
continuity of all services and projects throughout the transition
period.
This joined-up approach will strengthen the department's ability
to support the education sector by combining LocatED's commercial
expertise with the department's capability in delivering capital
programmes, policy knowledge, and strategic oversight.
The unified team will be better positioned to identify
opportunities, streamline processes, and deliver more coherent
support to schools, academy trusts, local authorities, and other
education providers requiring specialist property guidance across
the complete property lifecycle.
LocatED and the Department for Education will work closely
together to ensure seamless continuity of all services and
projects throughout the transition, which is planned to complete
by April 2026.
