The School Estate Management Standards: Providing Clarity on Effective Estate Management
The Department for Education (DfE) has recently announced The School Estate Management Standards, described as an overarching principle to help schools manage their estates effectively.
Introduced on 23rd April 2025 at The Trust Network’s annual estates conference, it represents the first new estates guidance issued by the current government and provides a clearer indication on their approach to school estate management. It recognises that well maintained sites, delivered by good estates management, is fundamental to the government’s mission to spread opportunity across the country.
What Are the School Estate Management Standards?
Developed in collaboration with schools and representative bodies, the standards offer practical advice on the basics of managing a school estate and how to progress to fully achieving effective practice. They are designed to complement existing pieces of guidance produced under the previous government. However, where guidance such as Good Estate Management for Schools (GEMS) provides expansive information, The School Estate Management Standards offer a defined set of actions schools should take to manage their estates, signposting back to GEMS as required.
They aim: ‘to support all schools in a practical and non-judgemental way, to understand where to start, how to progress and prioritise, and how to make best use of expert advice.’
The Four Levels of Implementation
The standards are divided into four levels of implementation, providing a clear progression route for schools:
Level 1 – Baseline: The basic essentials that all schools and their responsible bodies should have in place as they begin their journey to becoming fully effective.
Level 2 – Transitioning: Building on level 1, the key transition points in good practice in a school’s ongoing journey.
Level 3 – Fully Effective: All the components that should be in place for schools and their responsible bodies to manage their estate effectively.
Level 4 – Advanced: Additional activities schools and their responsible bodies could undertake to become advanced practitioners in estate management.
Areas of estate management:
The standards cover 11 core areas, with expectations outlined for each level:
Strategic estate management
Planning and organising your estate resources
Understanding and managing your land and buildings
Maintaining your estate
Health and safety
Fire safety
Asbestos
Legionella
Other
Sustainability
Digital technology
At Level 1, schools are expected to meet fundamental requirements. As schools progress, expectations become more detailed and strategic. The DfE expect all schools to start at level 1 and reach level 3, but timings for progression and how it will be monitored have not been disclosed.
Notably, much of the sustainability actions are included in later level requirements. Climate action plans are needed for level 2 of strategic estate management; meanwhile sustainability appears in level 3 including the need for a nominated sustainability lead which had previously been required to be in place by 2025.
Supporting Estate Management Guidance
The School Estate Management Standards is one of two key documents from the DfE guiding estate management in schools. The second is the Estate Management Competency Framework, originally released in June 2023. It supports schools in recruiting, training, and developing the necessary skills for effective estate management roles. While this document has not been updated, new information about training and qualifications relevant to estate management has been provided.
These two documents represent the DfE’s approach to ensure schools are implementing effective estate management, which they consider one of the most important aspects of keeping school estates safe, well-managed and operational. The School Estate Management Standards will be updated annually.
Outstanding Question of Funding
While the School Estate Management Standards provide welcome clarity on expectations, questions remain around funding. The DfE’s current approach includes the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) and School Condition Allocation (SCA). However, many schools receiving CIF may find it harder to implement strategic estate management due to the unpredictability of funding. As we await findings from the DfE’s review of the maintenance funding, any changes to the process will be important in helping all schools to meet the new standards.
What Should Schools Do Now?
Schools and responsible bodies should begin by auditing their current practices against the Level 1 requirements. This gap analysis will help prioritise improvements and form the basis of a plan toward becoming “fully effective.”
Recommended First Steps:
Review the standards across all areas.
Identify current strengths and any gaps in provision.
Prioritise achieving all Level 1 criteria.
Begin working toward Level 3 by embedding strategic practices.
How We Can Help
At Surveyors to Education, we support schools, academies, colleges and responsible bodies at every stage of the estate management journey. We can help whether you're already aligned with The School Estate Management Standards and need advice to take your practice to advanced levels or just beginning and need help understanding baseline requirements. Our team of education experts in building surveying, architecture, mechanical and electrical engineering and health and safety are here to support you.
For more information on how our team of education estate and energy experts can assist, please get in touch on 0116 5070130 or email enquire@s2e.org.uk.
