In 2022, the DfE released a report that raised the risk of school building collapses to ‘very likely’, especially for post-war educational facilities that were built between 1945 and 1970. These shocking findings have led to an increased focus on the safety of schools, academies and colleges, and the impacts that poor building conditions might have on students and estates alike.
The Department for Education’s Good Estate Management for Schools (GEMS) guide explains that condition surveys are important for both long-term estate planning and for better budgeting. The guide states that the school estate management standards require up-to-date information on school or college buildings through a condition survey.
What is a condition survey?
A condition survey is a thorough visual inspection of a property, which is carried out with minimal disruption by a chartered building surveyor. They give a deeper understanding of the current state of a building, looking at all major elements - such as the internal and external finishes, and building services - to look for defects, maintenance requirements and compliance issues. However, it’s not the same as a structural survey.
After the inspection, a building surveyor will give you an impartial condition report that grades all the elements. This information can then be used to prioritise repairs, making sure that resources are being used properly, and avoiding reactive (and expensive) repairs.
What is covered in an education building condition survey?
In line with the GEMS guidance, a chartered building surveyor will inspect the fabric of the building. This involves looking at areas like walls, windows and roofs, as well as mechanical and electrical systems like heating and water. It doesn’t include opening concealed areas, unless this is specified in the scope. There are also optional extensions that can be added, such as structural engineering assessments, compliance reviews like fire safety or accessibility, or specialist testing, which includes tests for asbestos and damp.
All classrooms and circulation areas will be visually inspected, as will the area surrounding the property, such as outbuildings and drainage. A surveyor will review previous maintenance history, works, current issues and temporary repairs, so they will need up-to-date information about the building.
Following the survey, a report will be prepared that includes thorough descriptions of the condition of the property, along with photographs and descriptions of areas that need immediate attention. A grading system will be used to prioritise the works, along with recommendations on what works should be carried out and how much they might cost.
Why do schools and academies need condition surveys?
In light of the DfE’s findings, understanding the physical state of the property is the only way to be sure that it can be made as safe as possible. Urgent risks like a leaking roof or faulty electrics could pose an immediate danger to pupils and staff, whilst some hazards will be harder to spot and need a specialist to confirm them. Naturally, keeping students, staff and visitors safe is a top priority for educational facilities, and a condition survey can help to maintain a safe learning environment.
Condition surveys can also help with budgeting and long-term strategic building management. As the issues are ranked by how severe they are, it allows schools to prioritise the most pressing issues. Some problems might seem minor at a first glance, like a small area of damp, but you’d be surprised at how quickly they can escalate. Preventative maintenance means there is a logical roadmap for addressing these problems, rather than relying on reactive repairs, which can be very expensive and disruptive.
Plus, proactive maintenance can extend the lifespan of important assets like boilers, so the lifecycle cost overall will be lower. Taking all of this into account allows estate management teams to create a longer-term financial forecast, as well as a plan for major works at times when it will cause less disruption, like school holidays. As most school buildings are occupied five days a week, 39 weeks a year, being able to organise maintenance and repairs around this is a real benefit.
A building condition survey can also be used as evidence to support funding applications like the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) and Urgent Capital Support (UCS). Both are Department for Education funding routes (previously run by the Education and Skills Funding Agency), which aim to give eligible academies and sixth-form colleges access to the funding they need to address urgent building issues, as well as to fund maintenance or improvements. The DfE expects clear, professional evidence of the urgency and importance of the repairs, and project need carries the most weight in a CIF application, so an independent condition report can be essential evidence.
Condition grades and priority ratings
According to the official DfE guide, there is a standard ranking system to provide condition and priority ratings and definitions. There is an A to D grading system to show the current condition of an element, and a 1 to 4 rating system to assess the priority and urgency for repairs, based on risk, impact and cost.
The condition is classed as:
A - Good, performing as intended
B - Satisfactory, performing as intended but with minor deterioration
C - Poor, exhibiting major defects/not operating as intended
D - Bad, life expired or high risk of failure
There is also X, which is a supplementary designation that is assigned in addition to B and C ratings, where a full replacement is needed.
Priority is classed as:
1 - Urgent remedial action required immediately (the default priority rating for condition D)
2 - Essential, remedial action needed in 1-2 years
3 - Desirable, remedial action needed in 3-5 years
4 - Long-term, outside of a 5-year planning period (the default priority rating for condition A).
Building condition surveys usually cover a five-year planning period, so it’s worth keeping them up to date rather than treating them as a one-off. How long a survey takes depends on the size and condition of the estate.
Preparing for a school condition survey
Before a chartered surveyor attends the property, you’ll need to make sure you’re well prepped. It should be carried out at a time where they have unobstructed access to the property, and they will need to have plenty of time with someone who knows the site well. Access will need to be granted to all rooms and areas, so make sure that if all areas can’t be left unlocked, that the surveyor has access to keys and fobs.
Surveyors will need up-to-date documents like previous school condition surveys, an asbestos register, fire risk assessments and details of past maintenance - they will be able to tell you in advance what kind of documentation they will need.
Just ahead of their visit, it can be helpful to list down any known issues or risks that you are aware of, as well as school-specific and trust-wide priorities and problems, so that they know the immediate concerns as well as the long-term strategic needs.
As an RICS-regulated firm, we work with educational clients of all sizes, from standalone schools to large multi-academy trusts, so if you’d like to talk to our surveyors about our condition surveys for schools, get in touch.
