May 2022
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This conference focused on the future of school buildings in England.
It was an opportunity to examine progress and next steps for the Government’s 10-year School Rebuilding Programme - as well as wider issues relating to the schools estate, including future design and modernisation, environmental sustainability and accessibility for all students.
The agenda also looked at funding in light of the Government’s response to its Prioritising schools consultation, which outlines the way forward for choices in future phases of the programme.
Areas for discussion emerging from the consultation included:
- engagement - transparency in the scheme and communication with schools
- funding priorities - assessing the focus on schools in greatest need
- progress - implementation so far, and what can be learnt
- schools outside the programme - options for accessing funding to improve their facilities
Those attending also looked at the environmental impact of the schools estate, with findings that schools in England currently contribute a quarter of public sector carbon emissions.
We expected discussion on choices between retrofitting and newbuild to meet low carbon criteria, assessing current policy and energy standards, and the role of schools estate in contributing to ambitions to reduce carbon emissions.
Further sessions discussed wider issues for the adaptation and design of school buildings, including:
- inclusivity - ensuring access for all students - improvement of existing facilities - new building design
- educational technology - best practice - developments in virtual learning - learning from the experience of the pandemic, and schemes such as the EdTech Demonstrator Programme
- design and construction - latest thinking and advances - how space can be maximised in building design - use of modular school buildings to minimise disruption
We are pleased to have been to include keynote sessions with Alex Green, Programme Manager, Let’s Go Zero; and Ashden and Richard Moir, Partner, Gerald Eve.
The conference was an opportunity for stakeholders to consider the issues alongside key policy officials who attended from the DfE; and the HSE.