Updated: 16th April, 2026
Created: 25th March, 2026
Barker works in partnership with the School and Academy Trust sector bodies , The Confederation of School Trusts (CST), Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL) and The Trust Network.
They continue to advocate hard on behalf of schools and trusts and are offering guidance and advice on operational issues.
Some key items are highlighted here.
The Schools White Paper 2026: Every Child Achieving and Thriving outlines a major shift in how school estates must evolve to support stronger inclusive mainstream provision.
With SEND reform at its core, the paper signals growing expectations for adaptable, suitable learning environments and earlier intervention, reshaping long‑term estate planning and capital priorities.
It aligns closely with the new Education Estates Strategy, reinforcing a move toward proactive, data‑led management and lifecycle planning for Responsible Bodies.
Read the full White Paper analysis here.
The DfE recently launched a new nomination round for the School Rebuilding Programme. Responsible bodies for schools and sixth form colleges have until midday Thursday, 23rd April to submit a nomination.
Nominations must be received before the deadline if you feel you have blocks within your estate that meet the definition of rebuilding/significant refurbishment set out in the DfE’s online guidance.
If you have any questions about the School Rebuilding Programme, speak to one of our education specialists.
In late February, the Department launched Manage Your Education Estate, which locates information, guidance and data for the management of your school and college estates in one place.
The service includes searchable estate resources, access to CDC2 data, site plans and photos, details of capital funding streams, and a facility for raising enquiries or reporting unexpected closures to DfE.
It also provides access to new guidance and examples to support organisations in planning and delivering renewal or improvement projects across their estates.
New DfE guidance sets out how responsible bodies, including trusts, should commission and manage condition surveys for school and college estates.
It explains the purpose of condition surveys, what they should cover, and how to use the findings to inform estates strategy, capital planning and compliance.
The guidance is intended to help trusts secure consistent, high-quality information about the condition of their buildings.
Key points include:
For more insights, you can read our blogs on:
How healthy is your estate? – Condition Surveys – Why & How
Condition Surveys – Procuring & Interpreting the Data
This DfE Improve and Renew guidance supports responsible bodies, including academy trusts, to develop and maintain a strategic, long-term estates plan.
It sets out a structured approach to understanding estate condition, sufficiency and suitability, and aligning investment decisions with educational priorities and financial sustainability. Key points include:
Take the Barker Estates360 Self-Assessment to find out how your estates management measures up.
The Department has issued guidance on how schools should monitor and manage ventilation and air quality. The guidance covers different ways to monitor air quality, understanding CO2 readings, and using and maintaining air cleaning units. An air cleaning unit specification has also been published.
If you have any questions or would like clarity on how anything in this blog applies to your organisation, our team is on hand to help.
Speak To An Education Specialist
