New estimates show Staffordshire schools need most spent on repairs
There's concerns buildings across England need major work done.
Last updated 28th Jun 2023
A new report is estimating schools in Staffordshire need the most money to bring school buildings up to an acceptable standard.
The National Audit Office has calculated it would cost over £2,500 per pupil here.
Across England, they're warning that the Government does not have sufficient information to manage "critical" risks to the safety of pupils and staff arising from a deterioration in the condition of school buildings.
A report by the public spending watchdog identified that about 700,000 children in England attend schools requiring major repairs following years of underfunding, with poor conditions directly affecting pupil attainment and teacher retention.
NAO head Gareth Davies said that, despite assessing the possibility of building collapse or failure causing death or injury as "critical and very likely" in 2021, "the Department for Education has not been able to reduce this risk".
Around 24,000 school buildings, or 38% of the total, are currently beyond their estimated design lifespan, the report found.
A major cause of concern is the prevalence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), which is prone to failure and was regularly used between the 1950s and mid-1990s.
Responding to the findings, Labour chairwoman of the Public Accounts Committee Dame Meg Hillier said:
"Seven-hundred-thousand pupils are learning in a school that needs major rebuilding or refurbishment, but worryingly Government does not know how many schools may be unsafe.
"Since 2017, the Department for Education has improved its data on the general condition of the school estate, which has helped illustrate a serious deficit in annual funding required to improve schools.
"After years of firefighting issues, parents need reassurance that the department knows where, when and how any risks to their children will be remedied."
Julie McCulloch, director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, said:
"It is perfectly clear that the Government has made a conscious decision to deprioritise education over the past 14 years and the deterioration of the school estate is one of the results of this mindset.
A Department for Education spokesperson said:
"Nothing is more important than the safety of pupils and teachers which is why we have been significantly investing in transforming schools up and down the country.
"We are investing in 500 projects for new and refurbished school buildings through our school rebuilding programme. On top of this, we have allocated over £15 billion since 2015 for keeping schools safe and operational, including £1.8 billion committed for 2023-24.
"It is the responsibility of those who run our schools: academy trusts, local authorities, and voluntary-aided school bodies; who speak to their schools' day-to-day to manage the maintenance of their schools and to alert us if there is a concern with a building.
"We will always provide support on a case-by-case basis if we are alerted to a serious safety issue by these responsible bodies."
£43 million is also being spent on maintaining and improving Staffordshire schools over the coming year.
This was approved by the county council a few months ago.