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.
Policy & funding
It will bring policymakers and stakeholders together to assess next steps following the Government’s spending commitments outlined in the 2025 Spending Review and Infrastructure Strategy, including investing £2.4bn in the School Rebuilding Programme annually over the next four years and expanding the programme to enable another 250 schools to join over the next decade.
Attendees will consider how the recent commitment from government that Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete will be removed in all schools and colleges by the next general election can be met, as well as varying arrangements being rolled out across effected schools to mitigate and remedy RAAC.
There will also be discussion on the pledge to support annual maintenance through to 2030 by allowing funding to increase annually in line with inflation to reach approximately £2.3bn per year by 2029-2030. Delegates will examine options for coordinated investment and delivery, including approaches for schools outside the SRP, and concerns over how funding frameworks balance immediate and strategic needs.
Progress, maintenance & tackling backlogs
The conference will assess concerns over transparency, communication, and wider school safety issues. Implementation of the SRP will be examined, including regional variation and delivery challenges.
Sessions assess how delays linked to supply chains, budgets and construction capacity are being managed, alongside the maintenance backlog and its impact on school communities - in light of recent National Audit Office findings and with the forthcoming long-term estates strategy expected soon from the Department for Education. Further sessions will examine the potential impact of private finance initiatives ending for some schools, with concerns surrounding potential unplanned maintenance costs for schools impacted.
Project frameworks
Issues around the design and delivery of future building programmes will be considered, including the role of national frameworks and priorities for planning, procurement and value for money. Delegates will discuss implications for long-term strategy and capacity in infrastructure delivery sectors.
Governance & oversight
Further sessions will examine responsibilities for oversight and maintenance of the school estate, including risk management systems and reporting, whilst addressing recent NAO and Public Accounts Committee findings to ensure public confidence in safety, and with some concerns from the DfE over a minority of schools not properly managing their estates. Discussion will consider the incorporation of LocatED into the DfE, including opportunities this could present to deliver more efficient and coherent support to educational settings and local authorities. Options for managing long-standing issues will be discussed in regards to risks of building failure - with forthcoming research expected in spring on the condition of older buildings within the estate.
Construction impact & student outcomes
There will be discussion on minimising the impact of works on students and staff, and approaches to ensure that learning environments are safe, accessible and inclusive. Attendees will consider how best to address regional variation in estate condition, and the relationship between the built environment and outcomes for pupils and staff.
Sustainability & decarbonisation
Delegates will assess strategies to enhance the environmental performance of the education estate, including support for net zero ambitions and the integration of green spaces. Sessions will explore funding, delivery partnerships, and alignment with climate and heritage priorities, amidst growing concerns that the education estate is not built for climate resilience. Discussion is also expected on the expansion of the solar scheme to support schools with rising energy costs, as well as the removal of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
Overall areas for discussion
- funding and investment:
- coordination of capital allocations across rebuilding, maintenance, and estate planning - relationship between multi-year strategy and annual budgets
- funding and allocation options for schools outside the SRP - balancing between immediate repairs and long-term design quality
- achieving regional fairness in allocation of funding for rebuilding projects
- 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
- implications of supply chain issues, budgetary pressures, and construction sector capacity
- 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 - transparency and communication on school safety
- implications of recent PAC and NAO findings - steps to foster public confidence in building safety
- design and disruption:
- delivering improvements while minimising disruption to staff and students - balancing immediate remedial needs with long-term design standards
- learning from existing rebuilding projects - managing timelines and delays, and mitigating projects being pushed back
- access and inclusion:
- design approaches to support accessibility and inclusion for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities - addressing regional variation in school condition and provision
- relationship between the built learning environment and student outcomes - impact of poor maintenance conditions on staff retention and recruitment
- environmental performance:
- energy efficiency and decarbonisation in school estate planning - integration of green space and alignment with national climate and local priorities
- balancing building heritage with environmental considerations - funding for retrofitting existing buildings following closure of PSDS and the Low-Carbon Skills Fund
- delivery partnerships with bodies such as GBE - expansion of the solar scheme
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Cabinet Office; Department for Education; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; National Audit Office; and National Infrastructure Service Transformation Authority.
