The school rebuilding programme: an overview 

How is the Department for Education making school buildings fit-for-purpose with the school rebuilding programme? 

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on gov.uk

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. 

The Department for Education’s (DfE) 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.

Over the course of the decade 500 schools will benefit from the programme. In December 2022 the DfE announced that 239 new school buildings schools and sixth forms will benefit from renovation projects. These new projects build on the 161 that have previously been announced, with construction works now nearing completion on the most advanced sites. 

This means that, in total, 400 out of the 500 schools and sixth forms have now been selected for rebuilds through the ten-year school rebuilding programme.

Built for the future

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. Schools are prioritised based on how immediate their need for improvement is.

The DfE ran a public consultation on how to 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)

In addition to the school rebuilding programme, the DfE is continuing to invest in the school estate with annual capital funding. Over £13bn has been allocated since 2015 to maintain and improve school facilities across England, including £1.8bn in the 2022-23 financial year.