Morning, Thursday, 15th January 2026
Online
This conference will focus on priorities for the future of school buildings in England and wider long-term development of the education estate.
It will be a timely opportunity for senior policymakers and stakeholders to assess next steps following the Government’s spending commitments in the School Rebuilding Programme and the recent pledge to support annual maintenance through to 2029. Attendees will examine funding and allocation options in the context of the Government’s Infrastructure Strategy, which aims for a coordinated, long-term approach to investment, planning and delivery across the public estate.
Issues around the design and delivery of future building programmes will be considered, including the role of national construction frameworks in shaping delivery, and how planning and procurement processes will need to develop to support consistency, flexibility, and value for money across the system. Delegates will discuss school building delivery looking at issues around timescales and capacity in the construction and engineering sectors, and implications for planning, procurement, and long-term strategy.
Further sessions will examine responsibilities for oversight and maintenance of the school estate, including systems for risk management, reporting, and public confidence in building safety. Delegates will assess implications of recent findings from the Public Accounts Committee and National Audit Office on the condition of the estate, and priorities for managing known issues, such as RAAC and asbestos.
There will be discussion on the impact of ongoing works on students and staff, alongside wider goals for quality, accessibility, and inclusion in the learning environment. Attendees will consider how best to balance the urgency of remedial action with longer-term design standards, and approaches to addressing regional variation in access to safe, well-maintained and supportive educational settings, with consideration being given to the relationship between built learning environment and improving educational outcomes.
We also expect environmental performance to be discussed, including priorities for energy efficiency, decarbonisation, and integration of green space. Sessions are expected to explore the role of school estates in contributing to national climate goals and delivery partnerships with bodies such as Great British Energy, as well as alignment with local and community priorities.
With the agenda currently in the drafting stage, additional areas for discussion include:
- funding and investment:
- coordination of capital allocations across rebuilding, maintenance, and estate planning
- relationship between multi-year strategy and annual budgets
- planning and delivery:
- use of national construction frameworks and delivery models across local authorities and trusts
- managing procurement to support consistency, flexibility, and value for money
- building safety and oversight:
- responsibilities for identifying and addressing material risks such as RAAC and asbestos
- oversight and reporting systems for estate condition and safety assurance
- design and disruption:
- delivering improvements while minimising disruption to staff and students
- balancing immediate remedial needs with long-term design standards
- access and inclusion:
- design approaches supporting accessibility and inclusion for pupils with SEND
- addressing regional variation in school condition and provision
- environmental performance:
- energy efficiency and decarbonisation in school estate planning
- integration of green space and alignment with national climate and local priorities
