Good management of the estate reduces the risks associated with buildings and premises. It helps to prevent the need for significant capital expenditure and disruption which can follow building failure.
Common challenges in managing the estate include:
The leaseholder, usually the trust, is responsible for the land and buildings including:
Good estate management should provide safe and well-maintained premises, appropriate teaching facilities and a positive pupil experience.
Planning for jobs in advance will help procure the best deal and achieve the most value for money. Don’t leave it too late and pay over the odds.
It’s always worth trying to negotiate prices and remembering that you don’t have to take first offer. Even 10% off where appropriate can make a huge difference to your spend and increase value for money.
As a trust we have put in place arrangements for the following.
In a MAT, daily management of individual schools is commonly delegated to site managers, who may report to an estate manager, who in turn reports to the board.
It is vital that everyone is aware of the lines of responsibility and accountability so that any concerns can be quickly reported and escalated where necessary.
The ESFAs Condition Data Collection (CDC) programme is designed to enable fair distribution of capital maintenance funding. A condition survey is required when bidding for capital funding.
A condition survey provides objective information about the condition of the estate. Carried out by qualified professionals, it uses a common grading system to enable fair comparison across sites and effective prioritisation.
The survey will include detail on:
The survey helps MATs to understand maintenance needs, wider property issues and prioritise delivery of works with available funds.
Good estate management should provide safe and well-maintained premises, appropriate teaching facilities and a positive pupil experience
Legal requirements relating to the occupation of the estate include:
Particularly important is an understanding of asbestos and fire. A record of all asbestos, known or assumed to be in trust premises, must be held for all trust premises.
A risk assessment identifying the general fire precautions needed to safeguard persons in case of fire must be undertaken and regularly reviewed for all school premises.
Those with duties for health and safety in the trust should make sure that the policies and the condition of the estate are compliant with appropriate legislation.
Checks and tests to be aware of include the below.
Unforeseen circumstances can arise that result in severe damage or disruption to trust premises.
You should be aware of what insurance is in place to cover emergencies, and what the arrangements are for:
When evaluating spend on the estate, the first step is to consider how you decide how much to spend on capital projects and maintenance each year.
You can then prioritise your expenditure per project and plan in advance to be sure you’re getting value for money.
You should be constantly monitoring and managing estate budgets and costs and ensuring you are complying with procurement regulations.
Regularly review your contracts for maintenance, facilities management and professional support and advice.
Ask yourself these questions to help.
