Education Property Issue 01 February-March 2024

02/2024
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024
Best practice in the design
of educational facilities
Investing in the next generation of
schools, colleges, and nurseries
Meeting the net-zero carbon challenge
Driving efficiency in the
education estate
Market and industry insight
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Comment
W E L C O M E
A new era for the
education estate
Welcome to the first edition of
Education Property magazine.
To be published bi-monthly,
this new title will be bringing
you all the latest news from
the education property sector,
including financial and market
analysis and trends.
We will also be exploring
best practice in the design
and construction of the
next generation of nurseries,
schools, and higher and further
education facilities, as well as
looking at estates and facilities
management practices.
In this first edition, we
cover the education sector’s
continued journey to becoming
carbon net zero and speak to
leading industry experts about
how the buildings of the future
will be financed and operated.
There’s insight from leading
industry figures from the Education Policy Institute,
Glenigans, the Association of University Directors of
Estates, Gerald Eve, DAB Beachcroft, the NBS, and
Christie & Co, among others.
And the launch comes at a pertinent time for the
sector as it follows the publication of several new
reports focusing on the deterioration of, and the
challenges facing, the education estate — including
rising backlog maintenance and
RAAC removal.
It also comes at the beginning
of a year which is expected to
include a general election —
with education always a key
manifesto talking point.
In this edition we look at
what the main political parties
need to be thinking about
when it comes to making
improvements to the education
estate, as well as exploring
current trends in real estate
investment.
There is also a look at
architectural best practice,
including the role of biophilic
design, and there is a special
report on the schools RAAC
crisis.
Moving into 2024, Education
Property will bring you all the
latest from the marketplace.
And we want to hear from you!
If you can help, or have projects and news/industry
insight you want to share with us, please email
joanne.makosinski@nexusgroup.co.uk
Jo Makosinski
Editor
Education Property
About Jo: Jo is the editor of Education Property, having
joined Nexus Media in November.
She has been specialising in design and construction
best practice for the past 14 years, working on the
Building Better Healthcare Awards and editing both
Building Better Healthcare and Healthcare Design &
Management magazines.
She has a special interest in the design of public
buildings including schools, nurseries, colleges,
hospitals, health centres, and libraries.
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 3

The Harkalm Group are a leading UK property investment and
development company specialising in the Education Sector.
Below is a selection of the educational properties we acquired in 2023:
We have a proven track record having successfully completed
numerous acquisitions with some of the UK’s leading nursery operators.
Please get in contact if you wish to discuss the following opportunities:
Acquiring vacant buildings or land with potential for conversion
or development into a new nursery setting.
Sale & Leasebacks.
Acquiring a freehold property as part of a going concern.
T: 020 7435 2535
E: childcare@harkalm.com W: harkalm.com

Contents
Chief executive officer
Alex Dampier
Chief operating officer
Sarah Hyman
Chief marketing officer
Julia Payne
Editor
Joanne Makosinski
joanne.makosinski@nexusgroup.co.uk
Reporter and subeditor
Charles Wheeldon
Business development director
Mike Griffin
Advertising & event sales director
Caroline Bowern
Business development executive
Kirsty Parks
Sales manager
Luke Crist
Publisher
Harry Hyman
Investor Publishing Ltd, 5th Floor, Greener House,
66-68 Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4RF
Tel: 020 7104 2000
Website: www.education-property.com
Education Property is published six times a year
by Investor Publishing Ltd.
ISSN 3033-3458
© Investor Publishing Limited 2024
The views expressed in Healthcare Property
are not necessarily those of the editor or publishers.
@edu_prop
linkedin.com/company/education-property-magazine/
6-9 News
We round up the latest big stories,
including new school projects,
clarification of the Department
for Education’s sustainability
goals, and plans for a student
accommodation scheme in London
10-12 Policy
Political parties focus on education
as the general election looms,
plus the challenges facing higher
education estates managers
14
14-19 Finance and
Property Deals
An overview of the key trends
in real estate financing for the
education sector, the future of
PFI schemes, and an energy
provider reveals his plans to give
back to schools
20
20-27 Market Analysis
Architects and contractors turn
to technology to reduce the
environmental impact of projects,
it’s a year of two halves for
education construction, and the
opportunities and challenges of
the real estate market
28-29 Building Design
The opening of Winterstoke
Hundred Academy, north
Somerset’s first net-zero school
30
30-32 Estates and Facilities
Management
We look at the findings of a
worrying new report which lifts the
lid on challenges facing education
estates managers, including
information on the ongoing
RAAC crisis
38
34-41 Environmental
Exploring the education sector’s
net zero carbon challenge and the
support available, plus university
launches carbon-cutting tool for
higher education providers, and a
look at the greenest primary school
in the country
42-44 Products
Why correct flooring specification
is vital in education settings
46-47 Interview
Peter Courtney, education lead at
LSI Architects, talks to Education
Property about his career in the
sector and how design approaches
have evolved to meet the needs
of clients
48-50 People
Staffing and people news,
including the findings of the
Government’s Teacher Workload
Reduction Taskforce
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 5

News
Green light for Dyson
STEM donation
A £6m donation to build a first-class
science, technology, engineering, art and
maths (STEM) centre in Wiltshire has
received the green light from Education
Secretary, Gillian Keegan.
Ministers at the department for
education have approved the expansion of
Malmesbury Primary School in Wiltshire for
the new centre, which was a condition of the
donation from the Dyson Foundation.
The expansion will see purpose-built
rooms equipped for design, technology, art,
science, and mathematics-based activities
as well as additional classrooms.
And, if planning permission is approved by
Wiltshire Council, it is expected to be open
to pupils from September 2027.
The Prime Minister has, separately,
announced his ambitious 10-year plan to
drive up young people’s skills through the
Advanced British Standard, requiring all
pupils in England to study some form of
maths to the age of 18.
This will help embed essential numeracy
skills and give young people a platform to
develop STEM expertise, supporting the
Government’s plan to create a world-class
education system by growing the economy
and investing in the skills that industry
desperately needs.
The reforms are already improving maths
education and driving up standards, with
the Programme for International Student
Assessment (PISA) study finding that
England outperformed the international
average in maths, rising to 11th in
international league tables in 2022.
Keegan said: “I welcome this generous
donation from the Dyson Foundation, which
will support cutting-edge education for local
pupils, helping to develop the scientists and
engineers of the future.
“This new centre will provide world-class
facilities for pupils in Malmesbury and the
surrounding areas to inspire them and
develop the skills we need to compete on
the world stage.
“The £6m donation builds on the work
we have been doing to boost the uptake
of STEM subjects in schools and through
apprenticeships and further education,
boosting growth and opportunity in these
vital sectors.”
To support growth and develop STEM
A roadmap for sustainability
The Department for Education
(DfE) has pledged to
clarify how it will meet its
sustainability targets.
Baroness Barran,
Parliamentary Under-Secretary
of State at the DfE, confirmed
to the Environmental Audit
Committee (EAC) last month
that a detailed roadmap will be
published by this autumn.
This decision is in response
to EAC chairman, Philip Dunne
MP, writing to the Secretary of
State for Education in November
to warn that the department was
not ‘moving at pace’ to deliver
on its net zero target of 2050.
The EAC maintains that the
Government has not ‘fully
grasped’ the impact climate
change could have on schools.
And it is also concerned
there is not sufficient funding
to retrofit the estate, urging
the Government to consider
sustainability and climate risks
alongside essential retrofitting to
replace RAAC.
Dunne said: “In November,
the committee raised alarm that
the Department for Education’s
current plans would see only
20% of the school estate
in England net zero carbon
compliant by 2050.
“This is a significant worry
when education is currently the
largest emitter of carbon from
buildings in the public sector.
“For the whole of the UK to
meet net zero, the education
sector in England must
make swifter progress on
decarbonisation.”
Image: Victoria, Pixabay
skills, the department runs programmes
such as the Stimulating Physics Network,
and has a network of maths hubs and
scholarships worth £30,000 to encourage
more teachers to nurture future talent by
teaching STEM subjects.
Additionally, design and technology trainee
teachers will now receive tax-free bursaries
of £25,000 to train to teach, up from £20,000
in the academic year 2023/24.
New T Level qualifications are also
being rolled out, including in engineering
and manufacturing, while a network of 21
Institutes of Technology is being established
to work closely with industry and pioneer
higher-level STEM training.
He added: “I welcome the
minister’s commitment to
publish a roadmap later this
year for the Department
for Education to meet its
sustainability targets.
“This will be an invaluable
resource, allowing the
department to set out in detail
the challenges ahead and giving
ministers sufficient visibility of
the urgent case for significant
additional funding for this large
element of the public buildings
estate.”
6 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

News
New development at
Manchester SEND school
Kier has been appointed by the
Department for Education (DfE) to
construct a new building for St John
Vianney RC SEND school in Stretford,
Greater Manchester.
The scheme will provide a 4,470sq m newbuild
facility accommodating 160 pupils with
special educational needs and disabilities
(SEND) from primary school age through to
Year 13.
The building will include both primary and
secondary SEND classrooms, information
and communication technology (ICT)
classrooms, design technology workshops,
food technology classrooms, science studios,
hair and beauty training salons, and sports
and fitness rooms.
There will also be medical treatment rooms,
therapy rooms, quiet calming spaces, and
sensory rooms.
In addition to the new main building, the
project also includes a ‘pavilion’ building with
a sports hall and hydrotherapy pool.
As the existing school will remain
operational while the new one is being
built, the project will be completed through
phased construction and handovers.
And Kier is working with the DfE to make
the school block net zero carbon in operation
during core school hours through the use
of renewable energy sources, including
substantial areas of photovoltaic panels and
air source heat pumps.
“The whole school community is really
excited about the new building development
and has worked closely with Kier and its
partners to ensure the project will develop
a state-of-the-art facility to meet the needs
of our SEND learners,” said Aidan Moloney,
headteacher.
“The design concept, which we have
developed with Kier, will give the children
and young people of St John Vianney
outstanding facilities and premises to ensure
we can fully deliver our curriculum intent to
prepare all of our pupils fully for their steps
into adulthood.”
The project was procured through the DfE’s
new CF21 framework and is due to complete
in August 2026.
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 7

News
Secondary school scheme
reaches completion
BAM has completed the design and
construction of a new five-form entry
secondary school in North West London.
North Brent School, part of the Wembley
Multi-Academy Trust, will provide 1,150
places for pupils in years 7-13 in a new
state-of-the-art, sustainable school building,
with an interlinked sixth form block.
The new five-storey school building
provides spacious modern classrooms,
equipped with the latest technology.
And the design maximises the limited
space available on a constrained urban
site to provide a pupil-focused learning
environment.
Ewen Hunter, construction director at
BAM, said: “We are delighted to have
completed the design and construction
of the new North Brent School on behalf
of the Department for Education and the
Wembley Multi-Academy Trust.
“The school’s relocation to this exciting
new facility will provide the pupils and
staff with a modern and sustainable new
learning space and adds to our portfolio
of successful education schemes, both in
London and across the UK and Ireland,
which are creating modern learning
environments that will inspire pupils for
many years to come.”
Facilities include science laboratories, a
library, sports hall, main hall, and sixth form
common room.
And the roof of the sixth-form block
houses a multi-use games area (MUGA),
optimising the space available on site.
BAM was appointed to deliver the scheme
by the Department for Education (DfE)
under its National Education Framework.
The building was designed with bright
cladding and an articulated façade to create
an inspiring learning environment.
The entrance is marked by a distinctive
Government takeover to speed
up delayed school project
The Government has taken over responsibility for delivering a longawaited
new school in Dunmow, Essex, following years of delays.
Essex County Council (ECC) had initially planned for the new school
to be ready by September 2021 as part of wider plans to provide extra
primary provision for the rapidly-growing town.
However, planning permission for the development will lapse in April,
prompting the move from central government to take over the project.
Work is set to start on the site, located off Stortford Road, before the
April expiry date, with a sub-base for the sub-station building being
erected on the corner of the property.
While a small part of the building work, it is hoped the move will
kickstart the scheme.
weeping willow tree, which was retained
on the site, with the school layout designed
around it. Rooftop solar panels will
contribute to the school’s overall energy
efficiency credentials.
However, it is not clear when construction of the main school building
will begin.
Once complete, it will be home to Helena Romanes Primary (HRP),
which is currently operating from temporary classrooms, but is hoping
to move to the new school in September 2025.
ECC has said that without a new primary school, and the expansion
of HRS as an all-through school — primary through to secondary —
there is currently no way to provide local school places for children in
the town.
The Government has also now applied to reword conditions relating
to tree retention, biodiversity, archaeology, construction management,
and water drainage on the site.
8 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

News
Expansion work creates
additional space
Work has started on a major upgrade to
Burlington Junior School in New Malden,
south west London.
Morgan Sindall Construction has been
appointed by the Royal Borough of Kingston
upon Thames to deliver the project, which
will add 120 additional pupil places.
Procured through the Southern
Construction Framework (SCF), the multiphased
project will enable the continued
delivery of high-quality education in a
more-modern and sustainable environment
by refurbishing the existing Victorian building
and constructing a new 2,800sq m structure.
The three-storey building will feature a
sports hall and 15 high-specification teaching
rooms.
Contracted works will also see the
development of two multi-use games areas
(MUGA), hard and soft landscaping, and the
demolition of a 1970s CLASP building, which
will be replaced by a 60-space car park for
the benefit of both the junior and infant and
nursery schools.
As part of the works, several toilet areas will
be refurbished at the neighbouring Burlington
Infant School and Morgan Sindall will install
World-leading university, the London
School of Economics and Political
Science (LSE), has confirmed the
Bouygues UK/Equitix consortium as its
preferred partner for the construction of
2,000 new student homes in the premium
Bankside location.
The development arm of Bouygues UK
— Linkcity — working in partnership with
Equitix, will provide investment and develop
plans for the build.
The new accommodation will be
positioned in the iconic location of London’s
Bankside, behind the Tate Modern art
gallery, and will provide up to 2,000 new
student rooms.
LSE is the first verified carbon-neutral
university in the UK and, as such,
sustainability will be a key consideration of
the development.
Oliver Campbell, development director
at Linkcity, said: “In line with LSE’s values,
we will be putting climate and diversity at
72 photovoltaic (PV) panels across the site
to support the project’s aims of achieving an
‘Excellent’ BREEAM sustainability rating.
In line with the tier one contractor’s
Intelligent Solutions approach, it will be
utilising Hempcrete in the construction as
an innovative method to reduce the school’s
overall carbon footprint.
Hempcrete is a medium-density natural
insulation material produced by wet-mixing
hemp shiv with lime binder, with impressive
thermal and sustainability properties.
Morgan Sindall is working alongside TPM
studios (architects), Shockledge (structural),
and Boon Brown (landscape architects) on
Consortium to deliver Bankside
student homes scheme
the heart of this project in order to deliver
a vibrant, sustainable, and truly-inclusive
space for students coming to live and study
at LSE from across the world.”
Hugh Crossley, chief executive of Equitix,
added: “We look forward to coming together
again to create what we believe will be a
landmark campus for this world-renowned
institution.
“We will aim to achieve multiple objectives,
with sustainability at its core, a focus on
student wellbeing, an appreciation of the
institution’s history and its location at the
very heart of London, and developing what
will become a lasting legacy for generations.”
Construction work is expected to start on
site in 2026, with completion earmarked for
2030, ready for students to move into at the
start of the next academic year.
LSE will now work in conjunction with
Bouygues UK and Equitix to select a design
team and create proposals for a planning
application to be submitted in early 2025.
the development.
Richard Dobson, area director at Morgan
Sindall Construction in London, said: “We
are delighted to be starting work on this
extensive upgrade project at Burlington
Junior School, as we know it is going to
deliver a wide variety of important benefits for
those working, living, and learning in the area.
“Our collaborative relationship with the
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
has been central to this development and
we are looking forward to continuing to work
with them at a time of real excitement and
ambition across the borough.”
Robert Shankland, project manager at
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames,
added: “Delivering high-quality education
and supporting opportunities for children and
young people across the borough is one of
our top priorities as we look to create a fairer
Kingston.
“Providing the best facilities for that to take
place is very important, and we are pleased
to have experts like Morgan Sindall on board
to help us create sustainable spaces that can
help more of our children and young people
to flourish.”
Julian Robinson, LSE director of estates,
said: “This new building will form a key part
of the LSE brand and identity.
“We will be looking for an exemplary piece
of civic architecture which is affordable for
all LSE students, focuses on environmental
sustainability, health and wellbeing, and
offers an outstanding student experience.”
Ian Spencer, director of residential and
catering services at LSE, added: “Using
their knowledge and experience and
working alongside our colleagues in LSE
estates, we are looking to create a firstclass
building which offers bed spaces at
affordable rents.
“The new hall will have dining facilities,
enabling our student community to eat and
socialise together, and working with the LSE
Students Union, our residential life team
will develop a residential life programme
ensuring the hall has an excellent sense of
community and develops ties with the local
community in Bankside.”
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 9

Policy
In early years education, the report calls for simplification
of the current funding system to better support low-income
families and children with special educational needs.
Image: svklimkin from Pixabay
Education priorities
for the General Election
A new report explores the challenges facing the education sector and the policies that will be needed
in order to assist political parties as they draw up their manifestos ahead of the General Election
The disruption caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic, the resulting
waiting list crisis, NHS strikes,
and over a decade of austerity, have left
the education system in England facing a
number of challenges in the years ahead.
But, with a general election anticipated
later this year, there is a genuine risk that
education will not secure the profile it
requires given wider economic issues and
demands on public services.
For the first time, the Education Policy
Institute (EPI), funded by the Nuffield
Foundation, has published a summary of
the best evidence on current education
challenges and effective policy interventions
in order to assist political parties in drawing
up their manifesto pledges on education.
In the report foreword, Natalie Perera,
chief executive of the EPI, said: “The
forthcoming General Election provides a
crucial opportunity for political parties to
set out their priorities for government.
COMPETING DEMANDS
“In the aftermath of over a decade of austerity
and after a global pandemic, it is highly
likely that the funding and functioning of
public services, addressing the cost-of-living
crisis, and improving the economy, will all be
competing against one another.
“These competing priorities present a
genuine risk that education will not be
given the focus or resource it needs.
“We are in the midst of a teacher
recruitment and retention shortage;
education funding has experienced a decade
of real-term cuts; and the gap between
disadvantaged pupils and their peers
continues to widen.
“This report sets out the key education
challenges that any incoming government
will need to tackle if they are serious
about improving outcomes and reducing
inequalities.
“In putting forward recommendations, it
draws on the best available evidence as well
as insights from a network of leading experts
from the early years to higher education.”
ESTATES SPENDING
In particular, the report claims that
underinvestment in the school and college
estate has had a significant negative impact.
Between 2016-17 and 2022-23 the
Department for Education (DfE)
distributed an average of £2.3bn a year
in capital funding for school rebuilding,
maintenance, and repair, according to the
report.
And HM Treasury has allocated capital
funding for 2021-25 amounting to £3.1bn
a year, well below the amount that DfE
proposed was needed to maintain schools
and mitigate the most serious risks of
building failure.
To address this, among its
recommendations, the report calls for an
increase per pupil in revenue funding,
funded, in part, by the expected fall in
pupil numbers, and an increase in capital
expenditure.
THE FULL LIST OF
RECOMMENDATIONS
EARLY YEARS
• Simplifying the funding system and
weighting it more heavily towards
children from low-income families and
children with special educational needs
• Publishinging and implementing an
early years strategy that will create a
sustainable model for providers that is
also affordable for families, including
rolling out the Family Hub model in
England
10 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Policy
SCHOOLS
• Tackling widening gaps in pupil
attainment between vulnerable learners
and their peers
• Reforming the current accountability
framework to ensure it is not adversely
impacting education
• Clarifying the role of local authorities
within the now predominantlyacademised
school system
• Providing mental health support
throughout schools
POST-16 AND HIGHER
EDUCATION
• Heightening incentives to encourage
greater numbers of young people to
pursue apprenticeships and carrying out
a broader review of post-16 qualifications
• Increasing the financial sustainability
of institutions in the higher education
sector and create a progressive student
finance model that better supports
students from more-disadvantaged
backgrounds
• Introducing maintenance support for
adults seeking to re-skill
SCHOOL AND COLLEGE
FUNDING
• Increasing per pupil funding, ensuring
capital expenditure is sufficient to
maintain and improve the school and
college estate, and better supporting
schools to deliver their wider roles,
particularly in disadvantaged areas
• Ensuring funding is targeted at closing
the disadvantage gap, through increasing
the pupil premium and directing
additional funding towards persistently
disadvantaged pupils
• Extending pupil premium funding
to cover pupils with child protection
plans and relevant students in post-16
education, and addressing relatively
low funding for 16-19 education more
broadly
• Reforming high-needs funding,
Capital expenditure should
be sufficient to maintain and
improve the school and college
estate, according to the report.
Image: Rudolf Hein from Pixabay
increasing funding amounts, and
amending the formula to better reflect
current needs
THE EDUCATION WORKFORCE
• Establishing greater parity between
teacher pay and salaries found in
competitor occupations
• Supporting retention through a focus on
improving teacher wellbeing, workload,
and flexible working arrangements
• Recognising the benefits of high-quality
CPD and supporting its delivery. n
The challenges facing HE estates managers
The Association of University
Directors of Estates
(AUDE) has published its
Higher Education Estates
Management Report, with
the energy crisis among the
key concerns as well as calls
for improvements in data
reporting.
Released in November, the
report uses data from August
2021 to July 2022 and paints
a picture of a year dominated
by energy price rises, which
increased by 43% across the
education sector.
And it reveals that the likely
cost of reaching carbon net zero
across the higher education
estate will be a ‘frightening’
£40bn.
The RAAC crisis — which is
said to affect a sixth of all AUDE
member universities — and the
rising backlog maintenance
bill are also highlighted as
major challenges, with calls for
increased capital funding from
the Government.
And it states that, while in
Scotland and Wales it remains
mandatory to make an annual
data return, that is not the
case in England and Northern
Ireland, adding: “AUDE has
continued to advocate for
member universities in England
and Northern Ireland to make
an annual data return because
we believe that a national data
picture is invaluable.
“While Jisc leads a review of
the sector’s data needs in light
of the fact that the return is no
longer mandatory, we hold our
position: when it comes to the
next round of data collection,
please submit as full a return as
you can.
“No time is the right time for
the sector to lose its ability to
identify key trends, and we all
understand the criticality of
EMR data in benchmarking and
assessing the performance of
all aspects of the HE estate.”
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 11

Policy
Focus on early years education
The Labour Party plans to carry
out a major review of early years
education, including looking at
ways to widen ‘childcare eligibility’ and
increase school-based nursery provision, if
it wins the next election.
The shadow education secretary, Bridget
Phillipson, outlined Labour’s priorities for
early years and education at the Labour
Party conference in Liverpool.
And she announced that Sir David Bell,
former chief inspector of schools at Ofsted,
would be chosen to lead the review to shape
a ‘modern childcare system’.
The review by Sir David, who has also
held the role of permanent secretary at the
Department for Education, would cover the
following areas:
• Development of a plan to widen
childcare eligibility promised by the
Conservatives at the 2023 Budget
• Ways to increase the amount of primary
school-based early years provision due to
falling birth rates
• How to remove restrictions on local
authorities from opening nursery provision
• The childcare and early years workforce
I am determined that new investment
in childcare comes with ambitious reform
to drive up standards for our youngest
children and the amazing people who
teach them
Phillipson said: “Our ambition starts, as
education starts, at the beginning of all our
lives: our childcare system must be about
life chances for children, as well as work
choices for parents.
“That is why I am determined that
new investment in childcare comes with
ambitious reform, to ensure early education
is available in every corner of our country,
for every family and every child, to drive
up standards for our youngest children and
for the amazing people who support and
teach them.”
The Early Years Alliance said it welcomed
the plans, but added that for the review to
have ‘genuine, long-lasting impact, those
working in early years settings would need
to play a key role in driving its direction and
area of focus’.
And the National Education Union
(NEU) warned that Labour would need
to ‘grapple with the funding issues and put
nursery schools on a sure footing’ to achieve
its goals. n
12 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Finance and Property Deals
Refinancing –
Mind the gap
Morgan Allen, a partner at Gerald Eve, looks at the
key trends in real estate financing and considerations
for raising finance on educational assets
Bursars and finance directors with a
refinance due within the next couple
of years should start looking at
options as soon as possible.
Between 2019-2022 it is estimated that
c€640bn of real estate debt was originated.
And research suggests that, based on
current interest rates and capital values,
approximately €176bn will not be refinanceable.
This refinance gap may reduce if interest
rates begin to fall and we see a recovery
in capital values. However, it is likely that
a substantial refinancing gap would still
remain.
THE RISE OF DEFAULTS
Several properties owned by asset managers
have already defaulted on their payments
over the last year, including Blackstone,
Brookfield, Pimco, and RXR.
Blackstone defaulted on a $531m bond
backed by a portfolio of offices leased by
Finnish company, Sponda Oy, in March
2023; while Pimco-owned office landlord,
Columbia Property Trust, defaulted on
$1.7bn of mortgage notes.
With over €100bn of commercial loans
maturing in 2024 in the UK, Germany,
and France, and approximately €350bn
across Europe, the market is predicting
stress in what could be a difficult year for
refinancing higher-leveraged facilities.
INTEREST RATES
In 2023, all-in borrowing costs reached a
20-year high. But there is hope that the
interest rate raising cycle is at its peak, with
the Bank of England holding rates over the
last three monthly meetings (as at the time
of writing). However, the narrative is that
rates will remain higher for longer and we
should not expect a rapid reduction in rates
during 2024.
We have seen downward movement on
UK Swap Rates with the five-year SWAP
trading at 3.586% (as at 10 January 2024)
which is circa 0.5% lower than this point in
December 2023, and the forward SONIA
curve has a downward trend falling to below
3% in July 2026 (based on current estimates).
This falling cost of debt should hopefully
ease the pressure on borrower income
covenants, as well as helping to underpin
commercial real estate values.
We predict lenders will continue to
supply new debt to the education sector,
14 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Finance and Property Deals
Image: Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
but that loan-to-value ratios (LTVs) will be
lower than previously, at say 50-55%, driven
by ensuring interest cover and debt yields
remain strong.
Lower LTVs are likely to cause problems
for those needing to refinance facilities with
higher leverage over this level.
In short, due to the combination of
successive interest rate hikes and lowered
LTVs, it will now cost schools and nurseries
more money to borrow less money.
Lenders are also paying far greater
attention to interest cover ratios than
ever before; and they will want to see that
interest is more than amply covered by the
trading activity.
We expect lenders and investors to
undertake more-robust stress testing on
debt and finance facilities.
EDUCATION AND EARLY
YEARS FINANCE
Funding for the education and early years
sectors was traditionally the preserve of the
UK clearing banks.
The education sector has historically been
highly fragmented in terms of ownership,
with only a small number of larger groups.
More recently, we have seen rapid
consolidation with many well-funded
groups rapidly aggregating portfolios.
This has, in turn, led to a number of new
When looking at new development/investment
facilities it is vital to obtain a broad market
view as there are a range of products and
solutions; it is not a one size fits all
lenders entering the market, attracted by the
strong cash flows that can be generated and
the general operational resilience (despite
some bumps along the way) of the education
sector which we saw during COVID.
This increased lending appetite into the
education sector brings new opportunities
to those seeking finance for their nursery,
school, or larger portfolio of education
property assets.
And we now regularly see the challenger
banks and new-to-market banks offering
debt terms on new transactions.
Furthermore, the growth in the specialist
debt fund market has also meant non-bank
lenders are keen to participate in the sector.
In addition, we have seen investment
funds enter the market to build groups or
portfolios of assets in both the operational
sector and as landlords of freeholds
granting leases.
In our view, during 2024, lenders will
continue to offer finance in the education
asset class as it is seen as a defensive sector
with strong cash flows and good levels of
market transactions, showing there is still
good liquidity in the sector.
That said, there remains a nervousness
around the impact of VAT on the
affordability of tuition fees should Labour
gain control in a General Election (which
is looking increasingly likely) and seek
to make good on this element of their
manifesto.
We predict that the stronger-performing
schools which make a healthy surplus will
survive, and that the impact of VAT on
school fees will hit the weaker/smaller
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 15

Finance and Property Deals
schools the hardest.
And we expect this will further drive
consolidation in the market, with more
charity mergers and struggling schools
being bought by the for-profit groups.
We predict prudent bursars and finance
directors will have stress tested their
forecast cashflows to reflect potential falls
in enrolment if/when VAT is applied to
tuition fees in order to plan mitigation
strategies, and that lenders will want to see
plans in place to ensure interest cover ratios
are maintained if there is a dip in revenue.
The nursery sector is facing a different
set of challenges, the biggest of which is the
national labour shortage.
The new funding for childcare places
which is being brought in is expected to
drive enquiries and, in turn, increased
occupancy levels.
It is not yet known, however, what
the impact will be on nurseries’ trading
performance.
Whereas we fully expect the office and
retail sectors to face strong headwinds in
2024, our view is that the education sector,
alongside living (residential, care and
student), and industrial/distribution will
continue to be areas of focus for lenders.
VALUES
Previously, (over 10 years ago at least) the
clearing banks would typically lend on the
vacant possession (also referred to as the
‘bricks and mortar’) value of education
property when taking security.
More recently, lenders have measured the
loan against the value (the LTV ratio) of the
value of the property ‘as a fully-equipped
trading entity’.
Some lenders do not have any appetite for
leasehold assets at all, or perhaps only if the
leaseholds form part of a larger portfolio
containing more freeholds.
We predict that some lenders will pay
greater regard to the market value assuming
a ‘restricted sale period’ (i.e. the school is in
distress and it is marketed in a shorter time
frame).
This figure is generally lower than the
value as a fully-equipped trading entity
(i.e. no special assumptions on a marketing
period).
Back in the day, this would have been
called a ‘forced sale’, a term which is no
longer used.
Discussing potential insolvency scenarios
sounds very bleak indeed! But it is not
meant to be.
Essentially, the lender will want to
know that the loan can be recovered,
even in the event that loan covenants are
breached. In our experience, it is somewhat
rare for a lender to take possession of a
school, as they generally want to avoid any
reputational damage which might ensue
if the care and education of children is
interrupted.
KEY TRENDS FOR 2024
If you have a refinance during 2024, ensure
you engage early with your lender to
understand their appetite and requirements.
And seek advice from real estate debt
specialists to give you a broad market view.
When looking at new development/
investment facilities it is even more vital to
obtain a broad market view, as there are a
range of products and solutions which may
meet your needs; it is not one size fits all.
If you have concerns on meeting your
loan covenants, seek advice from a real
estate debt specialist and your lawyer on
your options and how best to negotiate.
In our view, Loan to Value covenants
will remain below trend during 2024 with
50-55% LTV being the ‘new normal’ for
investment finance, but we are still seeing
higher leverage for development debt.
If there’s a gap to fill in your refinance, then
a partial capital raise via a ground lease sale
alongside senior debt could offer a solution. n
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Morgan Allen is a partner
at Gerald Eve, specialising
in valuing education
property for loan security
purposes in addition
to valuations for other
purposes and agency.
16 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Finance and Property Deals
Giving something back
Matt Small, director of T150 Energy, reveals his plans to pass energy
savings onto clients in the education sector
I am well aware of how woefully underfunded
these sectors are and as I work with operators
I really wanted to give something back.
Matt Small, director of T150 Energy
An energy broker is offering
education estate operators the
chance to recoup some of their gas
and electricity costs as part of an innovative
new ‘payback’ scheme.
Matt Small, director of T150 Energy,
has revealed plans to launch the initiative,
providing nurseries, schools, and other
education clients with between 0.2-3.5% of
their energy savings back.
Matt explains: “Education operators
could receive between 0.2%-3.5% of their
annual gas and electricity costs, depending
on a number of factors.
“Now, I appreciate that 0.2% as a
minimum does not sound like a lot.
However, if you consider the average
educational establishment may use 100,000
kWh — and I think this is conservative —
per year on electricity alone; collectively
this means we could put a lot of money
back into the industry.
“For example, there were 27,000 nurseries
registered with Ofsted as of 31 August
2022. Based on the average usage of
100,000 kWh per year, this gives an average
use of electricity alone of 1,670,000,000
kWh per year.
“If we could get even 1% of this number
onto our payback scheme this could be
between £17,000-£244,237.50 going back
into UK nurseries on an annual basis;
and that’s just the electricity and just for
nurseries. Spread this across the whole of
the education estate — around 32,163
schools — and the figure could be huge.
“Based on the above figures, gas could put
between £17,000-£146,542.5 in payback
as well.
“And, if clients have charitable status,
the payback amount could be given as a
charitable donation and would, therefore,
not be taxable. It’s a win-win situation!”
Staffordshire-based T150 Energy
launched in 2019, shortly before the
Coronavirus outbreak, and works across
a number of sectors, from care homes and
educational institutions to hospitality and
manufacturing businesses.
Coming from a background in telecoms
and a career in the Armed Forces, Matt
brokers energy deals between businesses
and some of the top energy providers —
including British Gas, Opus Energy, YGP,
engie, Dual Energy, npower, Scottish Gas,
SSE, and Gazprom.
And, with energy prices continuing to
soar, and the education sector feeling the
pinch, he is keen to give something back.
Matt said: “I work with partners
who bring me business and I pay them
commission for bringing me their clients,
so I thought why don’t I do the same for the
education sector?
“The following day I looked at a few
figures and started doing the maths.
“My goal for this year is to put back £1m
to businesses and the only way I can do this
is by being put in front of the right people.
“I want to start giving back more than
hopefully savings on their existing rates — I
want to give them part of the money we
make as a business.
“I am well aware of how woefully
underfunded these sectors are and as I
work with operators I really wanted to give
something back.
“I want people to want to work with me
because, 1. I’m great to work with, and 2.
Because, where possible, I will give them
something back.” n
For more information on the payback
scheme, go to www.paybackscheme.co.uk.
Businesses could be paid back up to 3.5% of their annual energy costs
Energy Usage
per year (KWH)
Approximate
Annual spend
50,000 £13,322.33 £438.75
100,000 £26,423.98 £877.50
300,000 £78,830.58 £2,632.50
500,000 £131,237.18 £4,387.50
1,000,000 £262,253.68 £8,775.00
10,000,000 £2,620,550.68 £87,750.00
Potential ‘Pay Back’ from
T150 Energy Ltd
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 17

Finance and Property Deals
The future of PFI
Educational bodies operating PFI-funded estates are being urged
to act ‘before it is too late’ as the controversial contracts near the
end of their lifespan
The Infrastructure and Projects
Authority’s (IPA) 2022 report,
Preparing for PFI Contract Expiry,
recommended that public sector bodies
with a Private Finance Initiative (PFI)
contract start taking steps at least seven
years prior to contract expiry.
Government figures show 694 PFI
projects in operation across the country
having an initial total capital investment
value of £54.7bn.
And that means hundreds of organisations
will need to take action to prepare for
handback and decide how they will fund and
operate their estate moving forward.
In particular, as many Private Finance
Initiative (PFI) contracts also included the
delivery of various facilities management
(FM) services, there will also need to
be decisions made on how these will be
provided in the future.
The long-term contracts — which
typically spanned a period of 25 years,
but sometimes 30 years or even longer —
were signed between public sector bodies
and a private sector consortium, typically
through a special purpose project company,
and meant the private sector designed,
built, financed, and operated the asset and
provided related services.
Under the contracts, the private sector
bears the risks associated with construction
and maintenance and overall management
responsibility, and its remuneration is
linked to performance.
THE STATE OF PLAY
There are currently 172 schools PFI
schemes still operational in England, with
a varying number of schools within each
scheme, but all including the delivery
of hard FM maintenance and lifecycle
services. Most also include soft FM services
such as grounds maintenance, security,
cleaning, and catering.
Most of these schools contracts were
signed between 1997-2010 when the
coalition government cancelled the national
Building Schools for the Future programme
(BSF).
A new model of PFI called PF2 was
introduced in 2012. Under that model the
DfE’s Priority Schools Building Programme
(PSBP) signed five further programmes
nationwide in 2013/14, before the
Government announced it would no longer
support the PFI model in October 2018.
Now local authorities and other public
sector organisations which have operational
PFIs need to begin planning for the
future, ensuring their estate is handed
over in the required condition and either
finding the in-house expertise to take over
operations, or opting for a new public/
private model.
THE CHALLENGE
The National Audit Office (NAO) found
in its June 2020 report on PFI contract
expiry that public sector bodies risk
underestimating the time, resources, and
What is certain is
that the whole expiry
process will require
more, and different,
senior management
support than is
currently being
provided to the PFI
project
complexity involved in managing the end of
PFI contracts.
And, in its 2022 report, the IPA’s deputy
chief executive, Matthew Vickerstaff, said:
“The expiry phase of PFI contracts, including
asset handback and the transition to future
services provision, presents additional risks,
including potential operational disruption,
lack of service continuity, financial loss, and
reputational damage.
“The effective management of the
expiry process is therefore of particular
importance.”
The report adds: “The IPA expects that
senior leaders will commence planning for
PFI expiry at least seven years prior to the
contract end.
“Early, but cost-effective steps will need
to be taken to increase awareness and active
management of the contract in advance of
expiry, understand the assets, systems, and
people involved in the exit and transition
process, build supportive relationships with
other parties, and obtain information from
the PFI project needed to shape and plan
the future provision of services.
“Significant risks will need to be managed,
diverse expertise and resources will need to
be applied, and additional budgets will likely
need to be made available.
“What is certain is that the whole
expiry process will require more, and
different, senior management support
than is currently being provided to the PFI
project.”
THE NEXT STEPS
The IPA guidance is supplemented by an
expiry toolkit, which provides additional
tools and materials to support authorities in
managing expiry.
18 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Finance and Property Deals
So what is next for these PFI schools?
Speaking to Education Property, Ioan
Davies, legal director and PFI specialist in
international law firm, DAC Beachcroft’s
infrastructure and projects team, explained:
“The message is, if you are coming up to
seven years from expiry, then — if you don’t
have a good handle already — now is the
time to start looking at how well run your
contract is.
“You also need to ask whether senior
managers are familiar with both the expiry
process and the need to have a strategy for
what comes next.
“Maybe, because of staff turnover etc,
an organisation’s corporate memory is
not that familiar with what is a complex
arrangement, especially trying to get to
grips with contract conditions which may
have been altered or superseded, often
several times, over the years.
“The education sector is no different
to others and over the years we have seen
a mix in terms of successful contract
management. A lot of that is down to the
resource applied to the project.
“Having recently looked at several early
PFI contracts, many may not be that
sophisticated or specific about what the
expiry and handback requirements are,
especially when compared to the provisions
seen in more-modern contracts such as on
BSF and PSBP schemes.”
Ioan Davies
Jonathan Bond
The challenge for education providers will be
how ongoing school maintenance programmes
dovetail with the additional impact of
managing and maintaining buildings when
PFI contracts are handed back as part of the
wider school estate
FIT FOR PURPOSE
Central to the handback will be clarity as to
the required condition of the buildings and
the respective rights and responsibilities of
the parties under the PFI contract.
Davies said: “Organisations will struggle
to make strategic plans for taking these
buildings back unless they know what
condition they are currently in and what
condition their contract says they are meant
to be in to be fit for purpose at expiry.”
But, threatening to hamper this process,
are the sometimes frosty relationships
that have grown over time between some
organisations and their PFI provider.
Davies said: “We have unfortunately
seen a breaking down of that relationship
on some schemes, and a number of
schemes are considering the ‘reset’
approach recommended in the recent
IPA-commissioned White Fraiser Report,
with a view to restoring the relationship
between the parties and, in turn, improving
the performance of their PFI contract now,
rather than waiting until the contract is due
to expire.
“It provides for the carrying out of an
audit of the PFI contract, by way of surveys,
and then gives the PFI provider a period
within which to rectify any issues identified
without threat of being penalised under the
contract for non-compliance.”
Moving forward, Davies predicts there
will continue to be a public/private
approach to delivering and maintaining the
education estate.
He said: “The million dollar question is
what comes next once a PFI contract has
expired?
“There has been a lot of academisation
within the national primary and secondary
school estate since 2010 and, even though
the PFI contract is still formally with the
local authority, a lot of PFI school buildings
are now occupied and run by multiacademy
trusts.
OPPORTUNITIES
“So, what comes next will be down to
them and that might be, in the short term
at least, integrating within existing FM
service delivery contracts serving their other
academies.
“If you are a local authority, especially one
with a grouped schools contract coming
to its end, do you have an in-house direct
delivery provider which can take it on —
including the staff that would transfer — or
might the procurement of a new facilities
management contract be attractive?
“Certainly, we think there will be
an appetite within the private sector
to continue to provide FM services —
however configured — to the schools and
academies sector.
“In terms of building new schools, as
well as the DfE’s current programmes,
in Wales there is the Mutual Investment
Model (MIM), which has a risk profile
that is very similar to PFI. So, might we
even see something similar to that as an
option promoted by the centre moving
forward?”
Jonathan Bond, a fellow legal director
at DAC Beachcroft and a construction
specialist with particular knowledge of the
schools sector, added: “The challenge for
education providers will be how ongoing
school maintenance programmes dovetail
with the additional impact of managing and
maintaining buildings when PFI contracts
are handed back as part of the wider school
estate.
“The priority is getting on top of the
current contracts and making sure the estate
is handed back in the right condition and
that schools are clear on what happens
next.” n
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 19

Market Analysis
Image: Latupeirissa, Pixabay
Industry in drive
for green metrics
Architects and contractors are increasingly using technology to
calculate the environmental impact of projects, according to a
new report from NBS.
NBS’s 2023 Digital Construction
Report reveals a major drive
for green metrics among
contractors and designers, with two
thirds of professionals using technology
to calculate environmental metrics, a sign
that sustainable design is now intrinsic to
construction processes.
Significantly, 40% use digital methods to
understand the embodied carbon attached
to a project — that is, the amount of CO2
emitted during construction.
The study also found that 38% digitally
analyse energy demands as part of the
building process and over half have used
offsite construction methods in the past 12
months, rising by 7% since 2021.
OFFSITE ON THE UP
Delving deeper, manufacturers are the
group most likely to be involved with
modern methods of construction (MMC)
— with 70% having worked with an offsite
element, followed by nearly two thirds
of contractors (63%), and over half of
consultants (58%).
This increase could reflect an industry
drive towards net zero as well as
recent government backing for further
standardisation within MMC.
LIVING IN THE CLOUD
The report also found that cloud computing is
becoming further embedded within building
practices, with four out of five now using it.
Despite headlines
that MMC isn’t a
popular choice,
the results show a
different story:
more professionals
are embracing it
than ever before
The statistics highlight the positive way
technology is supporting collaborative
working, with three quarters using it to
share documents and information with
clients (77%). A similar number (74%) use
it to collaborate with team members and
produce 3D models, specifications, and
other important documents.
20 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Market Analysis
The uptick in
professionals seeking
environmentalrelated
metrics shows
an industry putting
sustainability front
and centre
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
NBS’s Digital Construction Report also
highlighted increases in the number of
professionals following naming conventions
when sharing information (77%, up from
2021 figures) — an area that can improve
the organisation and management of data.
Additionally, over half of respondents
reported using interoperable formats like
IFC, revealing the growing importance of
easily-shareable construction data.
However, the report also showed there
are more opportunities still to be unlocked
by using digital technologies to help with
compliance.
The study found that only a third of
respondents (34%) were involved with
detailed responsibility matrixes (DRM),
a process that sets out responsibility for
each element of design to ensure greater
accountability.
Worryingly, this figure has dropped since
2021 (39%).
However, this figure hovered at around
half for architects and comes despite
increased levels of legislation attached
to the Building Safety Act, such as the
introduction of planning ‘gateways’,
which require a detailed breakdown of
responsibilities on an individual level.
Additionally, less than a third of suppliers
(28%) currently use a PIM system to
manage product information, pointing to
information gaps in the construction supply
chain.
Nevertheless, well over half (56%)
provide digital objects for the majority, or
all, of their products.
Commenting on the survey’s results,
David Bain, NBS’s research manager,
said: “The uptick in professionals seeking
environmental-related metrics shows
an industry putting sustainability front
and centre.
“The drive towards net zero has no
doubt been a catalyst alongside the
evolving legislative landscape and there
has never been a greater emphasis on the
environmental impact of building practices.
“The study has also yielded unexpectedlypositive
stats around offsite construction.
“Despite media headlines and highprofile
factory closures giving the
impression that MMC isn’t a popular
choice, the results show a different story:
more professionals are embracing offsite
elements than ever before.
“Overall, we’ve seen some marked
improvements that the industry should be
proud of.
“There is an opportunity here to improve
digital information sharing, for which
professionals have a legal requirement.
“The ‘golden thread’ and the use of
structured data is creating a safer future
for all.” n
723 construction professionals took part in this year’s
Digital Construction Survey, which included views from
architects/engineers and other consultants, contractors,
clients, and suppliers in the UK and beyond. Previously
known as the NBS BIM Report, the study is a benchmark for
changing attitudes towards technology adoption and new
technologies.
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 21

Market Analysis
Image: Jürgen Rübig, Pixabay
Bucking the trend
A new report lifts the lid on the education construction sector,
predicting a year of two halves for the industry
Education was the only sector to see
a growth in construction activity
in 2023, with a further increase
expected in 2024, despite delays to publicsector
programmes expected as a result of
the pending General Election.
Glenigan’s newly-published Construction
Industry Forecast 2024-2025 reveals that the
strong performance in 2023 will continue
into 2024, with investment in school
buildings and further education facilities
set to increase.
However, it warns that education capital
funding will be disrupted post-election as
priorities are reviewed.
STATE OF THE SECTOR
The report shows that the number of
secondary school pupils has increased
steadily over the past seven years, with a
projected 17% (or 462,000) increase in
pupil numbers since 2016, according to the
Department of Education (DfE).
Pupil growth was greatest in London and
the South East and local authorities which
have been slow to address the potential
shortfall in secondary school capacity now
appear to be securing increased investment.
School buildings were the largest and
fastest-growing area within the education
sector during 2023, with the value of school
building project starts estimated to have
grown by 24%.
Further education starts have also
increased sharply this year, rising by an
estimated 22%.
And the rise in school and further
education projects has been supported by
an increase in government capital funding.
The report states: “Following a shortfall
in capital spending during the last financial
year, unspent Department for Education
capital funding was rolled forward into the
current financial year.
“Planned departmental capital spending
for 2023-24 is around £7bn, a 28% increase
in real terms compared to 2022-23.”
University budgets have been under
particular pressure in recent years due
to a cap on income per UK-resident
student and disruptions to income from
overseas students caused by Brexit and the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The sharp rise in inflation over the last
two years has further exacerbated the
budgetary squeeze.
The report shows that the value of
university project starts fell for four
consecutive years to 2022, declining by 66%
from a 2018 peak to £596m.
After this prolonged decline, university
starts stabilised in 2023, edging 4% higher
than the previous year.
22 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Market Analysis
Overall education
starts are expected
to climb by 13%
next year, buoyed
by increased
government funding
for school and
further education
projects.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
According to the report, 2024 will be a
game of two halves — with an increase in
activity happening against the backdrop of
an anticipated General Election.
Overall, an 18% rise in school project
starts is forecast, with the Government
committed to rebuilding 500 schools over
this decade.
Additional spending is also anticipated to
address the risk of Reinforced Autoclaved
Aerated Concrete (RAAC) failure at
existing schools.
The report states: “A partial recovery in
university starts is anticipated over the next
two years.
“Universities should benefit from a
progressive rise in the number of 18-23 year
olds in the UK population over the next
five years.
“Universities have already seen an uplift
in student numbers, with the overall
number of students at UK universities
rising by 4% in 2021/22, including a 24%
increase in higher-fee-paying non-EU
overseas students.
“Further growth in the student
population will require renewed, if
selective, investment in the university estate
and this is expected to underpin an increase
in university projects in 2024 and 2025.
“Overall education starts are expected
to climb by 13% next year, buoyed by
increased government funding for school
and further education projects.
“However, starts are forecast to slip back
by 17% in 2025 as central government
funding programmes are reviewed and
disrupted post-election.”
According to Glenigan’s latest monthly
Construction Review, published in January,
Scotland was the most-active region in the
country for education project starts in the
last three months of 2023, accounting for
a 19% share to total £148m, double the
previous year’s levels.
And the East of England accounted for
15% of activity, increasing 62% against the
previous year to total £118m.
THE KEY PLAYERS
During 2023, league tables show the top
five contractors within the education
construction market were Kier (26 projects
worth £523m), Morgan Sindall (65
projects worth £492m), Royal BAM (16
projects worth £488m), Willmott Dixon
(21 projects worth £333m), and Bowmer &
Kirkland (22 projects worth £321m).
The main clients were the Department
for Education (223 projects worth
£1.19bn), Sheffield Hallam University (one
project worth £100m), the University of
Edinburgh (seven projects worth £90m),
Education Authority Northern Ireland (16
projects worth £87m), and Fife Council
(one project worth £80m). n
Source: https://www.glenigan.com/market-analysis/reports/
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 23

Market Analysis
We can’t continue
to sit idly as the
construction
industry continues
to be exploited for
its services through
late and often under
payments.
Late payments
lead to rise in
insolvencies
Recent survey data conducted across UK construction industry
professionals has lifted the lid on the dire state the industry is now
in as a result of a late payment culture.
With an overwhelming majority
(74%) of respondents
confirming that their financial
wellbeing had been affected as a result of late
payments — it is clear to see why the health
of the industry is slowly deteriorating.
And, in a year in which insolvency levels
across the industry occurred at the fastest
rate in a decade, urgent action is required
to safeguard the future of the industry,
according to Construction News survey.
Commenting on the findings, Lynne
Darcey, founder and chief executive of
cloud-based credit management platform,
Know-it, said: “Business is tough for
everyone right now and the last thing
business leaders need is additional pressures
placed upon the health of their cash flow.
“The construction industry is an integral
cog within our economy and if figures
continue to read so poorly, then we are
running the risk of causing irreversible
damage to the sector.
“At the moment, the overwhelming
majority (69%) of construction contractors
are waiting up to 60 days to be paid
following an invoice being issued.
KNOCK-ON EFFECTS
“To compound this issue further, 42% of
contractors said that they experience clients
requesting discount rates on services once a
project is underway.
“There seems to be a lack of consideration
from most construction clients that these
actions when it comes to late payments or
demanding cut-price costs have knock-on
effects to the industry as a whole.
“An industry which is regularly operating
up to two months without being paid,
and constantly pressured into providing
unsustainably-low-cost services, is going
to end in a rising number of contractors
closing down for good.”
Half of respondents also reported that
half of their invoices had been underpaid
compared to what was initially agreed upon
with the client.
“Following the economic battering of
the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry,
the worsening late payment culture
surrounding construction could not be
spiralling at a worst time,” said Darcey.
TAKING CONTROL
“UK construction firms can no longer be
viewed as a form of cheap labour or credit
line in the eyes of their clients.
“It is now time for the industry to regain
control of how it operates, and cash flow
has to be at the forefront.”
And she said technology would play a key
role, adding: “With little help coming from
the Government, the construction industry
should now consult technology and see first
hand the control and oversight they need to
ensure firms are paid on time in comparison
to manual processes.
“The latest solutions are now readily
available to ensure construction firms are
able to credit check, chase, and collect
overdue payments all from one place.
“Being able to identify and take action
against any holes you may have in a
business’ credit control process is just the
first step towards building a healthier cash
flow and stem the rising insolvency figures
across the industry.”
And she concludes: “We can’t continue
to sit idly as the construction industry
continues to be exploited for its services
through late and often under payments.
“The huge contributions it makes to our
economy each year and the jobs it creates
for so many families mean that it is too
valuable to watch crash and burn.
“Thankfully for construction, technology
is now readily available to turn the tide
on this sentiment we are currently seeing
and can hopefully help create a moretransparent
and compliant sector to operate
within.” n
24 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Market Analysis
Image: Souad Naji from Pixabay
Education real estate market
Christie & Co’s new Business Outlook 2024 report reveals the opportunities and challenges within
the education real estate sector
Independent schools which have
historically been the subject of strong
investment remain well placed to
weather the storm of the cost-of-living
crisis, with high inflation and interest rates,
and there has been a continued recovery of
international student numbers, which is a
positive development for the sector.
However, for smaller independent
schools struggling to maintain occupancy
levels, there was financial distress in 2023,
which, in some cases, resulted in closures,
and the sector is braced for 20% VAT to
be imposed if the Labour Party wins at the
next general election.
These trends are outlined in Christie &
Co’s new Business Outlook 2024 report,
which reflects on the themes, activity, and
During 2023 the market remained buoyant,
with demand from buyers for high-quality
SEND businesses showing no signs of abating
challenges of 2023 and forecasts what 2024
might bring for the education sector.
And it reveals that while the outlook for
independent education remains broadly
stable, subject to current political policies
prevailing, a crucial factor in their success
is in the investment and maintenance of
the properties to continue to make them
attractive to pupils and prospective parents.
As part of its annual sentiment survey, the
company surveyed childcare and education
professionals across the country to gather
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 25

Market Analysis
There is a moreoptimistic
feeling
around the 2024
market as we are
already witnessing a
healthy appetite and
demand for highquality
assets
Image: SP3CialStock from Pixabay
their views on the year ahead.
Encouragingly, 44% of people said they
are positive about the year ahead — an
11% rise on survey figures reported in
the previous year — while just 14% feel
negative.
When asked about their sale and
acquisition plans in 2024, 71% said they are
planning to buy and/or sell this year.
In 2023, Christie Finance witnessed a
26% rise in the number of childcare and
education finance instructions, with a
significant increase in leasehold operators
seeking funding to purchase freehold
premises, ultimately increasing the value
of the business that can be utilised as a
springboard to aid future expansion.
And, in 2024, Christie & Co expects:
• Demand will remain for larger
independent schools — those with
capacity for over 1,000 students —
and ones that evidence strong trading
performances
• Further provincial schools will close,
notably schools with smaller capacities in
less-affluent areas
• Mainstream independent schools may
see a slight stagnation of market activity
in the lead up to the general election
as buyers proceed with caution amid
a degree of uncertainty created by the
Labour Party’s VAT on school fees
pledge
Courteney Donaldson, managing director
of childcare and education at Christie &
Co, said of the report: “2023 proved to be
an exceptionally-busy year for our valuation
and educational consultancy teams, with
their expertise and services being called
upon by a wide range of banks, lenders,
and investors seeking formal advice for
refinancing and secured lending purposes.
“While the year saw a number of notable
transactions, overall market activity for
operational assets remained relatively
subdued for schools with smaller student
capacities.
“The differential between schools that
are doing well, and those that are financially
struggling, appeared to widen further
throughout the year and we continued to
see long-established schools having to make
difficult closure decisions.
“Where school mergers or takeovers were
not possible due to financial sustainability
challenges, there was no shortage of buyers
for those schools when being sold with
vacant possession, with the greatest demand
coming from SEND education providers
and other types of buyers having regard to
alternative uses.”
NURSERIES
The demand for high-quality nursery
settings nationwide, from single assets to
larger groups, remained strong in 2023.
However, there is little doubt some of the
challenges connected to the sector and the
wider economy have impacted the market,
according to the report.
Workforce-related challenges continued to
prevail and, in some cases, stifled providers’
ability to operate at optimum levels, or grow
their businesses and expand capacity.
And interest rate increases led to
borrowing becoming more expensive,
which created a challenge for new entrants
taking their first steps into the sector and
for existing operators wanting to expand.
Yet, despite the increased cost of capital,
the UK day nursery market continued to
move forward and, during 2023, Christie &
Co brought 236 day nurseries to the market
and reports strong buyer interest.
26 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Market Analysis
There was, however, a 27% decrease in
the number of day nurseries sold in 2023
compared with 2022, with the average size
being 72 places, compared with 67 places
in 2022.
Forty four per cent of Christie & Co’s
2023 deals were to corporate/large groups,
a 16% reduction on 2022 figures, and 32%
were to independent buyers, a 20% increase
on 2022 figures.
Nick Brown of Christie & Co said:
“The sentiment at the start of 2023 was
that the year was going to be challenging,
which indeed it was, but the market moved
forward despite this.
“Key challenges are sure to continue, but
there is definitely a more-optimistic feeling
around the 2024 market as we are already
witnessing a healthy appetite and demand
for high-quality assets across the country
which has resulted in a strong pipeline of
deals agreed already for the first quarter of
2024 and beyond.”
SEND SCHOOLS
Since 2020 the SEND schools market
has been particularly buoyant due to the
growing demand for suitable settings that
support the needs of children who are
unable to access mainstream education.
This is supported by the Government’s
pledge to increase core school funding by
£3.5bn in 2023/24, of which almost £1bn
will go towards high needs.
Courteney Donaldson
As a result, operators are keen to meet
demand by establishing new SEND
provisions across the UK.
Donaldson said: “During 2023, the
market remained incredibly buoyant, with
The differential
between schools
that are doing well,
and those that are
struggling, appeared
to widen further
throughout the year
Nick Brown
demand from buyers for high-quality
operational SEND businesses showing no
signs of abating.
“From an organic business development
perspective, where we have seen mainstream
independent school closures across the UK,
there has been no shortage of SEND school
providers stepping in to acquire those assets
to invest, refurbish, and re-open them as
dedicated SEND provisions.
“Looking ahead to 2024, against a
backdrop of further anticipated funding
scrutiny, we expect to see further growth in
nationwide capacity. We also predict that
buyer demand will remain strong.” n
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 27

Building Design
Matthew Randle, Principal, Winterstoke Academy
Net-zero school
opens its doors
Here, we look at the creation of North Somerset’s first net-zero
school — Winterstoke Hundred Academy
Weston’s Winterstoke Hundred
Academy has marked the new
year by throwing open the doors
to North Somerset’s first net-zero school.
Winterstoke Hundred first opened in
Beaufighter Road in 2020, but work has
been taking place over the past two years
to build a 900-pupil second campus at
Locking Parklands.
That work — carried out by contractor,
Kier, to specifications set out by North
Somerset Council and the Cabot Learning
Federation, which Winterstoke Hundred
is part of — is now complete, with students
having moved into their new classrooms.
Designed by AHR and Hydrock, the
three-storey building has been carefully
designed to meet rigorous environmental
standards — making it the first fullycarbon-neutral
school in the area.
Solar panels covering the roof will
generate electricity inside classrooms and
send power to the National Grid, providing
green energy for the school, as well as the
wider community.
BIODIVERSITY
The 80,000sq m building also boasts a
much-sought BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating
for energy efficiency and 10% biodiversity
net gain, which will protect and promote
plants and wildlife.
Heidi Clement, Cabot Learning
Federation head of projects and estates,
said: “The expansion of Winterstoke
Hundred Academy is a major development
and a huge financial investment that further
28 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Building Design
enables our trust to meet the educational
needs of young people and provide them
with a fantastic environment to learn in.
“This project has been a four-year
partnership between Keir, North Somerset
Council, and AtkinsRéalis, and the
buildings and finish look amazing and will
leave a lasting legacy for all those involved.”
Tony Searle, executive principal of the
Cabot Learning Federation, added: “We
have worked tirelessly alongside our North
Somerset Council partners to deliver an
exceptional building on behalf of our
community.
“With pupils now moving into the
new buildings, we are excited about the
educational opportunities that we will be
able to afford our current cohort, and those
who join the academy for decades to come.
“This investment in high-quality
facilities and appointments reinforces our
commitment to deliver the best-possible
education for our students.”
SUSTAINABLE
And Councillor Catherine Gibbons,
deputy leader of North Somerset Council
and executive member for children’s
services, families, and life long learning,
said: “Winterstoke Hundred Academy’s
new building is designed to achieve some
of the highest standards of sustainability,
raising the bar for what can be delivered in
our region.
“The quality of construction is clear
just from looking at the school and we are
immensely proud of what we have been able
to accomplish alongside our partners at
CLF and Kier.”
Funded through Homes England’s Housing
Infrastructure Fund, the Winterstoke
Hundred Academy expansion provides new
school places and facilities, meeting the needs
of growing local communities.
And the opening coincided with a new
principal taking up the reins at the school.
Matthew Randle has previously taught
at large secondary schools in Leicestershire,
Somerset, and Bristol.
Most recently, he held the position of
vice principal with CLF Post 16 in Bristol,
where he built significant experience in
safeguarding and leading the quality of
education.
He said of his new role: “I’ve been really
looking forward to welcoming our students
into the new building and starting to work
with the local community.
“It’s an incredible building and we feel very
lucky to be moving in to our second site.
“This is a significant investment in
education in North Somerset which will
enable us to build on our curriculum and
really excel in many specialist areas as we
work towards a full capacity.” n
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 29

Estates and Facilities Management
Deteriorating school buildings
prompt urgent warnings
A worrying new report lifts the lid on the challenges facing education estates
Plans to rebuild dilapidated and crumbling schools risk being
‘blown off track’ as the sector struggles with the RAAC crisis
and a lack of basic information from the Department for
Education (DfE), warns a report published by the Public Accounts
Committee (PAC).
Released late last year, the paper warns that the school estate
has deteriorated to the point where 700,000 pupils are learning
in buildings which need major redevelopment or refurbishment,
impacting their learning experiences and ultimately limiting their
educational achievements.
And unacceptable numbers of pupils are learning in poorlymaintained
or potentially-unsafe buildings, according to the
committee’s findings.
The Government’s School Rebuilding Programme (SRP),
which is behind its initial schedule for getting schools built, has
considered upgrades to 1,200 schools with safety issues or which
are in poor condition.
Five hundred schools in total will be selected, but many of the
100 schools still to be named will be chosen due to serious issues
with Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).
Many other schools will therefore not get onto the SRP, even
though longer-term assessments of their poor condition would lead
to a conclusion that they should be rebuilt.
UNDERSTANDING THE RISKS
A PAC spokesman said: “We are extremely concerned that DfE
does not have a good enough understanding of the risks in school
buildings to keep children and staff safe.
“Despite the PAC raising these as concerns for several years, the
DfE was unable to tell the inquiry how many surveys to identify
RAAC were outstanding, how many temporary classrooms had
been provided to schools affected by RAAC, or say when RAAC
issues would be addressed.
“There is a lack of certainty on support for schools affected by
RAAC, and questions around both the reliability of the DfE’s
information on the number and condition and schools affected, and
the Government’s attitude to risk with regards to the school estate.”
The PAC is also calling for the DfE to work up a full picture of
asbestos across the school estate.
The report found that, as at July 2023, the DfE was unsighted on
asbestos in just over 4% of schools.
While this has fallen from 7% at May 2022, this still represents
almost 1,000 sites.
And both RAAC and asbestos can be present in the same
building, further complicating any works to tackle the issues.
Since 2011, around 11 teachers or ex-teachers have died from
asbestos-related conditions each year, Health and Safety Executive
data suggests.
The PAC report urges the Government to develop a package of
support and good practice, targeted at helping mitigate the negative
impact on pupils and teachers of schools that are in poor condition
but cannot yet be fixed.
We are extremely concerned that
DfE does not have a good enough
understanding of the risks in
school buildings to keep children
and staff safe
BEYOND ACCEPTABLE
Dame Meg Hillier MP, chair of the committee, said: “A significant
proportion of children in this country are learning in dilapidated or
unsafe buildings.
“This is clearly beyond unacceptable, but overcoming the
consequences of this deficit of long-term infrastructure planning
will not be easy.
“The School Rebuilding Programme was already struggling to
stay on track, and the DfE lacked a mechanism to direct funding to
regions which need it most.
“It risks being blown further off course by concerns over RAAC,
and many schools in dire need of help will not receive it as a result.”
She added: “The images of classroom ceilings collapsed onto
empty school desks released in recent months are not just searing
indictments of a deteriorating school estate — they are chilling
reminders of absolute catastrophe averted through sheer luck.
“Given the poor condition of so many of these buildings, the
Government’s prime challenge now is to keep the safety of children
and staff absolutely paramount.”
The PAC report followed an earlier publication, in June last year,
of the National Audit Office’s Condition of School Buildings paper.
It revealed that around 24,000 school buildings — 37% of the
total — are beyond their estimated initial design life so generally
require more maintenance than newer buildings. This included
10,000 buildings constructed before 1940, with an estimated initial
design life of 60-80 years; and an estimated 13,800 ‘system-built’
blocks constructed between 1940-1980, with an estimated initial
design life of 30-40 years.
And it claimed that the rate of school rebuilding is significantly
below what the department estimated was required to maintain the
school estate.
Report authors predict it would cost £6.7bn to return all school
buildings to a satisfactory, or better, condition, with significant risk
of major costs arising from further deterioration.
A lack of suitable sites is also hampering development, together
with rising construction costs.
Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: “The DfE has, since
30 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Estates and Facilities Management
2021, assessed the risk of school building failure or collapse as
critical and very likely, but it has not been able to reduce this risk.
“More widely, it has an ambitious strategy for decarbonising the
education estate, but no plan for how it will achieve this or how
much it is likely to cost.
“DfE is gathering some of the data it needs to effectively target
its resources and it must now use this to improve its understanding
of where schools are most at risk so it can balance addressing the
most-urgent risks while investing enough in maintenance, reducing
carbon emissions, and climate change adaptation measures to
achieve its objectives and secure longer-term value for money.”
Here, we explore one of those key issues — the RAAC crisis —
in more detail.
Government figures released on 27 November 2023, revealed
RAAC has been confirmed in 231 state-funded education settings
and face-to-face teaching was offered in 227 of them.
Of these, around half (117) are primary schools, and nearly 40%
(90) are secondary schools. The rest are either further education
settings, all-through schools (combined primary and secondary), or
other types of schools.
Geographically, nearly half of the schools affected are in the East
of England, with 62 settings — 27% of the national total — in
Essex. Suffolk, Birmingham, and Kent schools are also significantly
impacted.
WHAT IS RAAC?
Reinforced aerated autoclaved concrete (RAAC) is a type of
lightweight concrete which, unlike traditional concrete, does not
contain gravel and pieces of crushed stone.
It was used in the UK between the 1950s and 1990s, mostly to
construct public buildings, such as schools.
WHY IS IT A PROBLEM?
Concerns about RAAC use in the UK were first raised in 1996
by the Building Research Establishment (BRE), which found
‘cracking’ and ‘corrosion’ in RAAC roofing panels.
In 2019, the Standing Committee on Structural Safety, an
industry body, warned that RAAC planks were ‘past their expected
service life’ and that roofs with RAAC planks could be at risk of
collapse.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors states that RAAC in
roofing panels could pose a structural risk, particularly if the RAAC
was installed incorrectly or if there are leaks. This is because the
porous structure of RAAC allows water to enter, which can cause its
internal steel reinforcements to corrode and lead to cracking.
THE STATE OF PLAY
There is no comprehensive list of which buildings contain RAAC
and to identify whether it was used in a building, surveys need to
be carried out.
In December 2018, the DfE advised bodies responsible for
schools, such as local authorities, to identify ‘any RAAC property
in their portfolio’.
It has also been collecting information on RAAC in schools and
last summer RAAC panels in three buildings, which the DfE said
would have been judged as ‘non-critical’ on a visual inspection,
collapsed.
The department then advised schools to close all spaces with
RAAC and to find emergency accommodation ‘until the building
has been made safe through structural supports’.
As a result 20 of the 235 schools with suspected RAAC moved
to a mix of in-person and online teaching, 19 delayed the start of
term, and four moved to fully-remote learning.
FUNDING AND SUPPORT
The Government has said that every school with RAAC identified
receives support from a caseworker from the DfE and, where
‘additional support is required or the scale of works is large’, from a
project delivery team.
In its guidance for responsible bodies and education settings with
confirmed RAAC, updated in September 2023, the DfE said it
will provide funding for one-time capital-funded mitigation works,
such as propping and temporary accommodation.
It also said it would approve ‘reasonable requests’ for additional
help with operational (revenue) costs, for example temporarily
renting a local hall or office or transportation to locations.
And, in December 2023 Health Secretary, Gillian Keegan, said
the DfE would also fund ‘longer-term refurbishment or rebuilding
projects to address the presence of RAAC in schools’.
And some schools with identified RAAC will receive funding
through the School Rebuilding Programme.
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
SpacioTempo, a specialist in temporary and semi-permanent
buildings, has been working with education providers across the
country to bridge the gap caused by unsafe concrete buildings.
Speaking to Education Property, its managing director, Daz
Logan, said: “The main challenges are the unpredictability of
RAAC deterioration and the sudden urgent need for replacement
education buildings.
“Spaciotempo aims to make the process as smooth as possible by
providing fast turnaround times and flexibility.
“We have issued quotes to several schools and higher education
authorities to provide temporary education facilities once RAAC
issues have been identified and have given advice and clarity around
next steps.
“Our buildings are cost-effective, short- and medium-term
solutions, can be installed quickly, and provide safe replacement
teaching spaces tailored to each schools’ unique needs.
“We are equipped to provide classrooms, exam halls, sports
facilities, canteens, and kitchen space, all with bespoke features such
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 31

Estates and Facilities Management
SpacioTempo has provided temporary accommodation for a number of schools, including Harris Primary School and Mary Hare School
as glazing, insulation, HVAC systems, flooring, and lighting to
provide a conducive learning environment.
“This helps minimise disruption, ensuring learning can continue
quickly and safely.”
Advising estates managers on what to do if RAAC is identified,
he added: “It is important to act quickly.
“We expect RAAC remediation will continue being a major issue
over the next year, at least, and more schools will likely identify
areas needing replacement as responsible bodies work with the DfE
to conduct more surveys.
“Working together with temporary building providers like
Spaciotempo, the goal is to transition students to safe spaces with
minimal impact on education, where this is necessary. Therefore,
continued inspections and pro-active planning will be key to
guaranteed UK-wide removal of RAAC, as well as ensuring issues
like this do not resurface in the future.”
Furniture and fit-out specialist, Klick Technology, is also seeing
an increase in the specification of modular buildings to help address
the crisis and offers a one-stop-shop service to remove RAAC and
fit new walls, floors, ceilings, and roofs.
A spokesman said: “Many schools are opting to install modular
buildings to deal with their Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated
Concrete issues in the short run.
“Modern modular buildings are built to withstand the demands
of an educational environment. The interiors can be fitted out with
science labs, food technology rooms, ICT suites, and many other
applications.
“We are working with a college which has received funding
for temporary buildings and has requested our help in fitting out
science labs within them.
MODULAR SOLUTIONS
“It is possible to design the room layout to allow the furniture to be
uplifted from modular buildings and refitted into new buildings
in the future, which is an additional benefit, especially if the
requirement for additional space is temporary.”
And Ricky Barford, sales director at Algeco Modular Hire, said
that, in response to enquiries from schools, it has put in place a
dedicated RAAC response team.
He added: “If you are a school or academy with RAAC in your
buildings — or a contractor carrying out remediation works on
behalf of an affected school — temporary classrooms will help
minimise disruption to the teaching calendar.
“Algeco can advise on classroom layouts and provide a single
point of contact from start to finish.
“Critical to this is on-time project completion — a factor never
more important when school children are having to be taught at
home in some cases.
“Put simply, schools need to know the temporary classrooms will
be there when they are meant to be, and temporary facilities can be
installed in weeks and permanent buildings delivered 50% faster
than traditional build.” n
Trinity School, Carlisle — SpacioTempo
John Dewey Specialist College — SpacioTempo
32 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Environmental
It’s good news that
new-build projects
must be net zero,
but what we are
not seeing is a big
injection of finance
in retrofitting, which
is a major problem in
the sector
Let’s go net zero!
As one of the largest emitter’s of carbon from buildings, the
education sector is facing the challenge of reducing its impact on
the environment. Here, we look at the support available to help
providers meet their targets
Education is the public sector’s largest
emitter of carbon from buildings —
generating 37% of all emissions from
the estate — with 13% coming from state
primary schools, 11% from state secondary
schools, and 13% from universities,
according to National Audit Office figures.
And, with plans by all UK governments
to bring emissions from public sector
services to net zero by 2050 at the latest,
work is ramping up across all educational
establishments.
Underpinning this work is the
Department for Education’s (DfE)
ambitious eight-year Sustainability and
Carbon Change Strategy, which was
published in April 2022 and covers early
years, schools, further education, higher
education, and children’s social care services
across England.
The publication followed extensive
engagement with the sector and young
people and set an ambitious vision that
the UK education sector would be a world
leader in sustainability and climate change
by 2030.
And it made 143 commitments in five
broad areas: the education estate, green skills
and careers, climate education, operations
and supply chain, and international influence.
But just how are schools doing on this net
zero journey?
COMMUNITY LEADERS
The Let’s Go Zero campaign, led by climate
solutions charity, Ashden, was launched
three years ago to support education
providers in the UK to meet their carbon
reduction targets.
It is backed by a powerful coalition of
sustainability organisations, including
Global Action Plan, WWF, The Carbon
Trust, WRAP, Fairtrade, Energy Sparks, The
Tree Council, The Soil Association, sustrans,
and Eco-Schools, to name just a few.
Alex Green, head of Let’s Go Zero, told
Education Property: “We see schools as
really important as they are at the heart of
our communities and cities and one in six of
the population goes to a school every day, so
they are key players in driving wider societal
change.
“School leaders want to be seen as
aspirational and want to be pro-active, not
just because they know they need to be
seen taking action, but there is always that
risk that students will continue to strike
to highlight the threat of climate change if
they don’t do enough.
“There is also a need to address rising
energy costs and the decaying condition of
our school estate.
“To attract students, they need to be
better than the educational establishment
down the road.
“We started the campaign as we could
see an increase in demand for action, help,
and support from education providers and
through our work we are demonstrating
that.
“By Let’s Go Zero proving the demand,
policy makers and the DfE can start
meeting that demand and taking action,
giving school leaders the tools and policy
direction to help them take action.”
A SENSE OF DIRECTION
But, while understanding of the need to
take action is increasing among education
leaders, Green said individual sites were still
at various stages of their net zero journeys.
She adds: “The vast majority of schools
are taking action, but not all.
“What is really exciting though is I
am seeing a change at the DfE, where,
three years ago, there was no one with
‘sustainability’ in their job title.
“The department has now put together
the Sustainability and Climate Change
Unit, which numbers around 30 people.
“And the Sustainability and Carbon
Change Strategy provides a sense of
34 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Environmental
Kings Academy Ringmer primary school students, Sussex, looking at its
new 450kW biomass boiler which saves around 400 tonnes of CO2 a year
An Eco Wall at St Catherine’s Primary Glasgow
direction and supports action.
“This mandates that, by 2025, education
providers must produce a climate action
plan and appoint a named sustainability
lead. This is enabling schools to do more.
“We have recently seen a good step in
the right direction from the DfE in its
commitment to developing a roadmap for
sustainability and net zero in the school
estate.
“In addition, from November 2021, there
has been a commitment that every new
educational building must be net zero in
operation.”
But she lamented the lack of a clear
funding mechanism to support the
procurement and rollout of carbon-cutting
innovations in the existing education estate.
She said: “It’s good news that new-build
projects must be net zero, but what we are
not seeing is a big injection of finance in
retrofitting, which is a major problem in the
sector.
“The DfE strategy did not focus much
on budget, with education providers
largely relying on the Public Sector
Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), which
is a finite moneypot for all public sector
services that operates on a fastest-fingerfirst
basis.
“The PSDS has its clear limits and
challenges, but it’s worth pointing out that
for schools which have received money, it
has been brilliant, but it just hasn’t reached
enough of them.
“What really needs to take place is
exploring how schools can use private
finance.”
PRIVATE FINANCE
This would mean education providers
working alongside the private sector, for
example under environmental performance
contracts (EPC) arrangements, through
which the private sector forward funds
any necessary works and equipment and
the investment is paid back via the schools’
revenue budgets and through guaranteed
efficiency savings.
“We need a better approach to private
finance,” said Green.
“The money is there, but there is lack of
confidence to engage with that money.
“If you are a school leader, you are an
expert in education not a building or
finance expert, so we tend to see that the
perceived safest thing to do is nothing.
“We need to promote confidence in
the private sector so that leaders fully
understand the technologies, paybacks,
risks, and benefits.”
To help drive this engagement, Let’s
Go Zero is working on a project funded
by Green Future Investments to develop
innovative finance solutions for school
decarbonisation and retrofit.
The work will break down the
misconceptions and barriers that
stop schools seeking finance from the
Government and private sources and hopes
to unlock new funding options.
The campaign is also welcoming the new
Net Zero Accelerator feasibility study by
the DfE in partnership with LocatED,
which will explore the potential for rapid
rollout of energy efficiency and generation
initiatives enabling targeting of funding,
including possible new loan and delivery
models.
And Let’s Go Zero has also announced
a new Climate Action Advisor Network
made up of independent, unbiased experts
who will provide free support to schools,
colleges, and nurseries across England.
Through one-to-one phone and online
meetings, school site visits, and webinars,
they will help education providers to
upgrade school buildings, understand
routes to funding, get further support from
local and national organisations, produce
climate action plans, and connect with
other local schools to share best practice.
Green explains: “We started in
November in the Midlands and will be
rolling out across England this year, with
advisers helping to show education leaders
what can be done and what they should be
doing, explaining the options and where the
priorities are.
Down School pupils engage in all sorts
of climate-related activities and learning
Boothroyd Primary Academy students help
make an outdoor shelter using Eco-bricks
Comberton Village College’s
huge heat network project
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 35

Environmental
Herne Bay Junior new solar panels
QUICK WINS
“There are 60,000 school buildings in
England alone and there are still a lot of
opportunities for ‘quick wins’.
“For example, we know that 50-60% of
energy use in schools is when students aren’t
in the buildings, so there is a lot of energy
waste to address.
“We see a lot of schools looking at big kit
such as heat pumps because they believe their
energy demand is high, but our advisers will
ask whether they have looked at things like
improving insulation, turning heating down,
switching to LED lighting, and considering
things like solar panels on the roof.
“It really needs to be a fabric-first
approach where you consider where you
are, where you need to be, and the best way
of getting there.”
One key development in recent years has
been the creation of multi-academy trusts
to manage groups of schools.
This has led to a move from a single
caretaker looking after a single school to
the creation of more technical roles such as
academy directors of estates, who will use
their expertise to oversee the management
of dozens of individual sites.
EXPERT SUPPORT
Green said: “We are seeing a lot more
competence and confidence within estates
and this will be vital in the coming years in
embedding and understanding sustainability
and what needs to be done.
“And it will hopefully increase the
effectiveness of a public/private partnership
approach to carbon reduction across the
education sector.”
One of the Let’s Go Zero climate action
advisors in the Midlands, Jo Pettifer,
added: “Having been both a school leader
and a sustainability co-ordinator, I know
first-hand how keen schools are to reduce
carbon, cut costs, and improve staff and
pupil wellbeing.
“What they desperately need is the
specialist expertise to help them do this and
that’s exactly what this role offers them.”
And climate action project manager, Lucy
Archer, who put the team together, said:
“From helping embed a sustainability lead, to
drawing up a climate action plan or carrying
out a zero-carbon audit, our advisors can
offer as much support as is needed.
“If you are taking your first steps in
your shift to zero carbon, or are ready to
raise your sustainable journey to the next
level, our advisors will be by your side, all
the way.” n
University launches pioneering
carbon-cutting tool
Nottingham Trent University
(NTU) has launched a
pioneering tool to enable
higher education institutions
and their suppliers to meet
net zero carbon targets — with
over 30 universities already
incorporating it into their
supply chain processes.
Developed by colleagues in
sustainability and procurement
at NTU, and in collaboration
with NETpositive Futures, the
Net Zero Carbon Supplier Tool
not only provides an institution
with supply chain carbon
emissions data, but also proactively
targets and influences
suppliers to reduce their own
environmental impact.
And, following a successful
trial with six universities, the tool
has now launched to the wider
sector, with over 30 universities
already on board as part of
a one-year action research
project.
By collecting supplierspecific
carbon footprint data,
universities can report on
the sustainability impact of
the goods and services they
purchase, as well as track
reductions in emissions when
sustainability interventions are
implemented.
Suppliers are each provided
with an estimated carbon
footprint and a bespoke carbon
reduction plan free of charge.
And, regardless of how many
universities they do business
with, only one account is
needed as the data is then
shared.
Laura Mayhew-Manchón,
head of sustainability at NTU,
said: “NTU has a commitment
to not only meet its own net
zero carbon target by 2040,
but also to build sustainable
supply chains across the higher
education sector.
“Supply chain emissions
are the largest single source
of emissions within our own
footprint – five times greater
than our emissions from energy
use, which is common in many
organisations.
“Our Net Zero Carbon Supplier
Tool goes some way to help us,
and the sector, to reduce our
Scope 3 emissions in a targeted
and informed way.”
Larissa Morrish, head of
procurement at Lancaster
University, which is also using
the tool, added: “Lancaster
University declared a climate
emergency in 2020 and has set
an ambitious target to become
carbon net zero by 2035.
“We have reduced our
electricity and heating
emissions by 50% since 2005,
but we know there is a long way
to go significantly impact our
Scope 3 emissions.
“Visibility of carbon reduction
activities in the supply chain
is a huge challenge for all
organisations and the Net Zero
Carbon Supplier Tool gives us
a tangible way forward to work
with our suppliers and to record
their carbon reduction activities.
“I am particularly pleased with
the engagement from our SME
suppliers, which made up 70%
of responses. Many measured
their carbon impact for the first
time using the tool and, unlike
larger suppliers, did not already
have a carbon reduction plan in
place.”
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Environmental
The greenest primary
school in the country
In this article, Simon Butler, managing director of building central at Tilbury Douglas, discusses the
innovations used to successfully complete the UK’s first purpose-built biophilic primary school
Work on St Mary’s Catholic
Voluntary (CV) Academy in
Derby was recently completed,
paving the way for the opening of the UK’s
first biophilic primary school.
The pioneering new eco building, which
is part of the St Ralph Sherwin Trust, was
selected by the Department for Education
(DfE) in 2021 as a pilot scheme, following
a devastating arson attack that destroyed
the previous school.
St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary (CV)
Academy in Derby, which is now complete,
embraces key Construction Playbook themes,
being net-zero carbon in operation, lowembodied
carbon, and a Modern Methods
of Construction (MMC) exemplar,
including a fully-embraced digital strategy.
INNOVATIVE DESIGN
The biophilic design focuses on connecting
the internal environment with nature, with
the goal of promoting physical and mental
health.
Moving away from the typical singlebuilding
accommodation arrangement, St
Marys CV Academy is distinctive in plan.
Comprising of five single-storey
buildings, linked by a large covered central
walkway, the plan promotes high levels of
natural light and access to the surrounding
landscape.
As part of the landscape strategy, the site
has been planted with 96 new trees, many
of which will be semi mature to help the
school become quickly embedded in the
biophilic landscape.
Additional landscape features include
rain gardens, season bulb planting, and
meadow grasses.
Learning from, and in nature, is an
important theme for the academy and
will be supported through the built
environment.
For example, each classroom features
doors to courtyards, increasing access to
outside spaces.
And the natural landscape hopes
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Environmental
to capture the imagination of pupils,
aiding their exploration of their natural
surroundings, boosting creativity, and
reducing stress.
As a Catholic school, faith areas such as
a chapel and memorial garden will work
harmoniously with the forest school and
biophilic principles in a holistic design that
unites nature, education, and spirituality.
UTILISING MMC
The speed at which the project was
delivered was mainly down to the Innovare
Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) system;
an interlocking, load-bearing system that
is manufactured off site and guarantees
performance in terms of thermal insulation,
fire safety, and acoustics. It also uses
environmentally-friendly materials and
finishes, alongside efficient processes that
concentrate on minimal waste and recycling
offcuts.
The floor and ceiling SIPs strategy will
not only support the school in its lowembodied
carbon aspirations, but will also
make maintenance easier moving forwards,
omitting suspended ceilings and cavity
MEP.
SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING
Considering the building’s embodied
lifecycle has been an important part of the
design and preconstruction of this project,
alongside the operational energy strategy,
devised by Cundall, which will deliver net
zero carbon in use.
Our engineering team undertook the
design and installation of this highlythermal-efficient
building. This included
significant amounts of full-height glazing to
maximise the benefits of natural daylight.
Other key mechanical, electrical, and
plumbing (MEP) strategies included the
use of heat pumps, photovoltaics (PV), and
intelligent natural ventilation technologies.
And post-occupant support will, together
with enhanced metering, play a key role in
optimising the future operating performance
of this building and provide essential data to
help inform future standards.
SOCIAL VALUE SUCCESSES
Alongside the build programme, our social
value commitments have been a priority,
with a complete social value plan being
delivered in association with the project
team and stakeholders.
Among local spend, some of the
highlights have included several
apprenticeship opportunities; work
placements from University of Derby,
T-Level placements, as well as summer
placements for local young people
interested in construction careers.
NEXT STEPS
To have completed this project is a great
achievement by all those involved with this
important scheme.
As the UK’s greenest primary school,
and first biophilic school, this DfE pilot
project will play a key role in setting future
standards for eco-friendly schools of the
future and we know the pupils, teachers,
and the wider community will really benefit
from utilising the new facilities.
Moving forwards, the school will
be part of a research programme with
the University of Derby, which will be
monitoring the various innovative elements
of the building and reporting pupil health
and wellbeing results. This will help provide
lessons learned to the DfE and future
school developments. n
SOLAR PANELS REDUCE EMISSIONS AND LOWER ENERGY COSTS
Solar panels have been installed
at Eggar’s School in Alton and the
Petersfield School (TPS) in Petersfield
in a bid to reduce carbon emissions and
lower costs.
East Hampshire District Council (EHDC)
gave £25,000 to each school, which was
the start of pulling funding together for the
ambitious projects.
Local community energy groups,
Energise South Downs (ESD) and Energy
Alton, helped secure the remaining funding
and supported the schools through the
installation process.
The final installation at Eggar’s will
provide 50kW of panels, and the larger
installation at TPS will provide 110kW of
panels.
Councillor Robert Mocatta, EHDC
portfolio holder for regeneration and place,
which includes climate change, said: “It
is important that schools are able to use
renewable sources of energy.
“Young people will inherit the world from
us, and when they do I want them to know
we did everything we could to reduce our
impact on the environment.”
Director of Energise South Downs,
Catriona Cockburn, added: “Our aim is
to support organisations to realise their
ambitions for renewable energy and it
has been great to support TPS, which is a
school passionate about decarbonising.”
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 39

Environmental
Jill Wellington from Pixabay
The road ahead
The DfE recently published an update on its climate strategy.
Here we look at the key points
In December 2023, the Department
for Education published an update on
its Sustainability and Climate Change
Strategy.
And a key element of its work is around
the education estate.
According to the report, achievements to
date include:
• The opening, in August 2022, of the
DfE’s first net-zero school, Treetops in
Grays, Essex
• Working with the Department for
Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)
to help education settings access the
£1.4bn Public Sector Decarbonisation
Scheme to help cut costs and emissions,
with £342m worth of investment going
to schools in 2022 and 2023
• The publication, in December 2022, of
guidance on reducing energy for schools
alongside additional funding of £447m
aimed at supporting schools with energy
reduction measures
Over the course of this year there will
be additional work across the country,
including:
• Deployment of air quality sensors in
schools to better understand the role of
data in supporting effective management
of healthy learning environments
• A new Standardised Carbon Emissions
Framework for higher education and
further education to help understand
energy and carbon impact, how they can
monitor and report data, and begin to
plan actions to adapt and mitigate
• A carbon emissions framework for
schools and early years settings is
currently in consultation with unions
and stakeholders
• Work to share and drive progress on
issues relating to operations and supply
chains, including circulating to schools
a food waste prevention pack created
by the Waste and Resources Action
Programme and promoting sustainable
procurement through commercial
support and outreach
St Mary’s Catholic
Voluntary Academy
has been designed
using sustainable and
resilient materials
to connect the
inside with nature,
promoting better
physical and mental
health
• A £60m investment by Active Travel
England to ensure more children have
access to school and cycle training
programmes to help make it easier for
parents to choose greener travel options
• Condition data provided to the UCL
Modelling Platform for Schools will
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Environmental
simulate what impact interventions,
such as installing heat pumps, can have
on energy consumption and emissions.
The department will use data to establish
benchmarks in the carbon emissions
framework and inform climate risk
assessment of the education estate
• A framework for the assessment of
the risks of flood, water scarcity, and
overheating to education services will be
published and setting level data will be
available by the end of 2024
• A digital hub with curriculum-aligned
teaching resources, digital mapping tools,
and community science tool kits is now
live and will help young people develop
their knowledge of, and connection with,
nature, through projects to explore, map,
and enhance the biodiversity of their
surroundings
• £15m in grant funding to support SEND
and participation in disadvantaged
schools in areas of nature depletion. The
evidence will be used to develop the grant
programme to ensure it supports settings
to overcome barriers to accessing nature
• Support officers, employed by the Royal
Horticultural Society, will provide
settings with hands-on support to help
kick start projects
And pathfinder schemes will continue
across the country, such as the development
of the first biophilic primary school — St
Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy in
Derby — which opened in December.
DfE’s first net-zero school, Treetops in Grays, Essex
Treetop’s solar panels
The school has been designed using
sustainable and resilient materials to
connect the inside with nature, promoting
better physical and mental health.
‘Gen zero’ buildings, designed using
low to no carbon construction methods,
are also in construction at Ashington
College, Northumberland; Forge Wood,
West Sussex; 6 Woodside Primary School,
Hertfordshire; and, Wellfield Methodist
and Anglican School, Lancashire.
And the Resilient Schools Project
is testing the optimum combination
of retrofit options to improve climate
resilience at Keelham, Thorton, Holybrook,
and Byron Primary Schools in Yorkshire. n
FIVE STEPS TO SUSTAINABILITY
In its update, the DfE announced five steps it is taking to
make the education sector more sustainable and prepare
young people for a world impacted by climate change.
1. APPOINTING YOUTH FOCAL POINTS
Young people are at the centre of the Government’s strategy,
with university students, Will Wale and Jodie Bailey-Ho, acting
as ‘youth focal points’.
They are working alongside the DfE to represent the voice
of young people as the department delivers on its climate
strategy.
2. ATTENDING COP 28
Building on progress made at COP26 and COP27, in November
education minister, Baroness Barran, and Will Wale attended
the first dedicated education day at COP28, where they worked
with international partners to drive the development of national
education strategies, address climate risk, and build moreresilient
education systems.
3. DEVELOPING CLIMATE ACTION PLANS
The DfE has set a target for all education settings to have a
sustainability lead and a climate action plan in place by 2025 to
help embed sustainability in all they do.
And, from this year schools, nurseries, and colleges will be able
to access a new support service to help develop these plans,
with a website providing evidence-based actions and expert and
peer-to-peer support.
4. EXPANDING THE CLIMATE AMBASSADOR
SCHEME
To provide on-the-ground support, the DfE is expanding the
Climate Ambassador scheme.
Led by the University of Reading and STEM Learning, climate
ambassadors have already helped more than 80,000 learners
and educators to include climate education in the curriculum
and reduce their environmental impact.
5. LAUNCHING THE NATIONAL EDUCATION
NATURE PARK
Launched in October with the Natural History Museum and the
Royal Horticultural Society, the National Education Nature Park
offers children and young people the opportunity to take hands-on
action to improve biodiversity and tackle climate change.
Schools, colleges, and nurseries which sign up now have
access to a range of resources including digital tools, classroom
activities, and an interactive map displaying the growing Nature
Park across the school estate.
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 41

Products
Take to the floor!
How flooring manufacturers are responding to the needs
of education clients with products for all areas
The design of buildings is key to
ensuring the most-effective and
efficient delivery of education
services.
And, as floors are one of the mostextensive
surfaces in any building, the
choice of material and installation and
maintenance processes must be carefully
considered.
Educational establishments demand
attractive, hardwearing, low-maintenance,
safe, and sustainable floors in order to create
spaces in which people can work, learn,
play, relax, and socialise.
Forbo Flooring Systems’ Schools Design
Guide — Making Spaces Into Learning
Places provides guidance on practical floor
cover solutions for primary and secondary
mainstream schools.
And it highlights the complexities of
choosing the right product for the right
area.
CHOOSE WISELY
For example, corridors and circulation areas
are busy, noisy places and demand durable
and safe floor coverings; while technical
teaching rooms, such as design, technology,
and art classes, often require safety flooring
designed with slip resistance and durability
in mind.
And while laboratories and science rooms
might need flooring which can withstand
Forbo Flooring Systems has published a design guide for schools
Modern-day schools now not only provide spaces
to learn and work, but they also offer areas to
relax and to socialise in — and the flooring plays
a significant role in the total experience
42 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Products
Anytime when walking into
any room, the floor is a huge
part of that environment
and should be given the
consideration it duly
deserves
contaminants, gyms and sports halls benefit from
acoustic materials and speciality high-grip surfaces.
A Forbo spokesman said: “Modern-day schools now
not only provide spaces to learn and work, but they
also offer areas to relax and to socialise in — and the
flooring plays a significant role in the total experience.
“In fact, it can help to distinguish different spaces or
connect multifunctional spaces together, all the while
being functional, decorative, stimulating, or supportive
to other architectural elements, depending on the
purpose of the space.
“We are constantly working on creating better indoor
environments and healthier buildings by supplying floor
coverings that are not only functional and comfortable,
but also safe and environmentally friendly.”
SAFE AND SOUND
Tony Thorne, specification manager for Wales at Gerflor UK,
adds: “Anytime when walking into any room, the floor is a huge
part of that environment and should be given the consideration
it duly deserves.
“Different stakeholders will have different priorities, but,
in general, budget, aesthetics and acoustics, slip resistance,
cleanability and durability, along with responsibly-sourced/sustainable
solutions, are key drivers.
“And, from a pupil perspective, the installation of a floor that is safe for them
to interact with, when taking part in sporting activities as an example, is a key
consideration for us as a company and something which often gets overlooked
or substituted when it comes to design and build projects, unfortunately.”
Gerflor has seen particular interest from education clients in its safety vinyl
flooring solutions, which are available in modern, bright, and contemporary
designs — making them ideal for schools.
“You can now find safety solutions with authentic wood and stone finishes
that are a world away from ‘traditional’ dull grey”, said Thorne.
“However, safety vinyl flooring can be more difficult to clean than some
other flooring products, for example.”
Recent projects which Gerflor has been involved with include providing floor
coverings for Pencoedtre High School, a large new-build school in Barry, Wales.
Project designer, HLM Architects, specified 700sq m of Gerflor’s Taraflex
vinyl sports flooring in the ‘Maple’ colourway to contrast with the multi-sport
markings and sit alongside the sports-recommended blue walls.
And the company’s Tarasafe Impression and Tarasafe Standard vinyl safety
flooring was installed at a high-end student accommodation development in
Gloucester city centre.
Taralay Impression Comfort heterogenous flooring, Creation 55 LVT, and
Gradus Boulevard 5000 high-performance Secondary Barrier Matting Tiles,
were also used.
Offering advice to specifiers, Thorne has three ‘top tips’:
1. Challenge tradition: In a world with constantly-changing technologies and
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 43

Products
new innovations, it is worth researching into new product developments for
building interiors
2. Consider who is going to benefit: Is it the main contractor who needs to
keep within a budget? Is it the estates manager who has to keep the floor
clean and costs low for the next 20 years? Or is it the 12-year-old athlete
having to do PE in a hall that is also used for dining? All these competing
demands will need to be met
3. Talk to flooring manufacturers: They will have solutions for all concerns
and for all budgets and timescales. It’s important to just ask!
And, moving forward, he predicts that budgetary restraints and green
credentials will underpin future flooring trends.
“It’s no secret that budgets are being squeezed and manufacturers have to
adapt to this changing environment by offering cost-effective solutions for all
applications,” he said.
“Sustainability is extremely important in flooring manufacturing because
it reduces the overall environmental impact that flooring has on our built
environment, reducing both the embodied and operational carbon of buildings.
“Sustainable flooring is manufactured using natural, low-carbon, and/or
recycled materials, and has a low environmental footprint over the course
of its life.”
Benefits of sustainable flooring include:
• It conserves natural resources and reduces waste
by using renewable, recycled, or biodegradable
materials, as well as renewable energy during
manufacturing processes
• It creates a circular economy where waste materials
are used to manufacture new flooring
• It improves indoor air quality and comfort by
minimising emissions of volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) and allergens
• It improves the longevity of an education facility.
With durable and low-maintenance floors, there will
be reduced energy and water consumption during
its lifespan and reduced lifetime CO2 emissions.
Durable products also require less replacement over
the life of a building. n
CHILD’S PLAY
A climbing tower is providing
a focal point at a newlyrevamped
playground at
Aldrington CE Primary School
in Hove, East Sussex.
Pentagon Play created the
bespoke Triple Tower Climber
for the Key Stage 1 outdoor
space, giving the opportunity
for children of all abilities to
take part in explorative and
imaginative play.
The company’s playground
consultant, Paul Speller, also
devised a new drainage system
on the site to prevent pooling,
which had previously caused
problems.
All-weather artificial grass
was then laid, with Shockpad
foam tiles added as an extra
safety measure.
The tower itself features a
number of obstacles, from a
suspension bridge to a climbing
ramp.
And, standing on the elevated
deck, pupils can view the whole
playground through bubble
windows before setting off down
the slide or firefighter’s pole.
To allow for pupils to develop
essential gross motor skills,
an additional climber was also
chosen.
The Bowfell Climber with
Platform and Climbing Net
encourages social interaction
as children practise turn taking
and effective communication
and co-operation.
Upper and lower body
strength is also developed as
children tackle the climbing
nets and wall and a bright
splash of Blue Wetpour
surfacing provides a contrast
and a great prop for games and
stories.
The final active piece which
the school invested in was
Pentagon’s Get Set, Go!
Blocks — The Mendips Set,
featuring 12 blocks of different
shapes and sizes which can be
moved by groups of children
or adults, creating fresh,
interesting obstacle courses on
a daily basis.
And, for those pupils who
want to withdraw from active
play, there is a wigwam.
44 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Interview
The evolution of design
In this Q&A, Peter Courtney, a director at LSI Architects
who heads up the company’s work in the education
sector, shares his experience and predicts how design
approaches will change to meet the very-specific needs
of the industry
Q: Can you tell me about
your career history and how
you got involved in designing
educational facilities?
A: My career started back in the
early 1990s as an architectural
assistant at Todd Architects in
Belfast, after which I spent five
years at The Parr Partnership in
Glasgow alongside undertaking
qualifications at the Mackintosh
School of Architecture.
I joined LSI Architects in
2008 and became a director in
2016.
Early on in my career as a
qualified architect I worked
for a practice which had been
commissioned to design the
first grouped governmentfunded
schools programme in
Scotland.
I was project lead for the first
of these schools, creating a newbuild
primary and secondary
school for over 1,000 pupils in
Falkirk.
Over the last 25 years I have
been privileged to be involved
in more than 150 education
projects, ranging from nurseries
through to higher education
projects.
A moment in my career
that confirmed my passion for
designing educational facilities
followed the completion of
a primary school project in
Cambridge.
Myself and a colleague were
invited to attend an assembly
where we were personally
thanked by every pupil from
reception to year six who had
each drawn their own version of
the completed building.
We recognised then the
real positive impact that the
improved facilities had on every
individual, and I’ve carried that
experience with me ever since.
Q: How important are
buildings in the overall
delivery of education services?
A: Creating the right
environment to enable effective
teaching and learning has
demonstrable influence over the
quality of the student learning
experience and approach to
education.
The decisions we make as
designers of a building are
directly relevant to this. For
example, ensuring the provision
of good natural light can
promote physical and mental
comfort while concurrently
reducing eye strain.
The quality, shape,
arrangement, and diversity of
learning spaces plays a crucial
role in facilitating a harmonious
integration of physical and digital
learning experiences.
Views both into and out of
spaces not only encourages
improved behaviour, but also
establishes a sense of connection
and enables effective passive
supervision.
Incorporating biophilic design
principles and establishing
a connection to nature and
outdoor spaces has been shown
to improve attention spans and
alleviate anxiety.
The creation of suitable areas
for staff wellbeing likewise are
becoming increasingly important
as, without happy, healthy, and
motivated staff, there can be little
chance of creating a successful
educational environment.
We need to continue to
encourage a new wave of
teaching practitioners into the
education profession who are
passionate about improving
educational outcomes for
generations to come.
And, in my view, buildings
where children come to learn
are among the most important
within our society because
it is where they will meet
other children from different
backgrounds and learn to
interact and collaborate with
each other.
The skills and knowledge
acquired in school contribute to
shaping students into responsible
citizens and therefore the
learning environment must be
conducive to nurturing these
qualities.
46 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

Interview
Q: What have you learned
is most important when
designing education
buildings?
A: We adhere to the belief that
the successful design of any
education environment starts
with getting the basics right
and placing pupils’ needs at the
heart of the design process.
In my opinion the mostimportant
component to this
is to listen and prioritise clear
communication.
Doing this well at the outset
of the project is fundamental
to developing a thorough and
responsive brief.
In my experience this is
always a solid foundation,
and through meaningful
stakeholder engagement, the
project can develop successfully.
It is also fundamental to
get the internal environment
right in terms of acoustics,
temperature, light, layout,
finishes, technology, and
equipment.
Brent Knoll
This has been especially
evident in our extensive work
in the design of specialist
educational environments,
where utilising tried-andtested
construction methods
and robust materials to
create appropriate, adaptable
environments that are sensitive
to the specific needs of the
students is critical.
Q: How has the design
approach to educational
settings evolved since you first
began working in the sector?
A: There has been increasing
evidence of the benefit and
value of a well-designed
educational environment.
As a result, there are
considerably more guidelines
to follow and regulatory
requirements than there were a
couple of decades ago.
The recognition of the
importance of placing the
pupil or student at the heart of
education design, and greater
ADA College
acknowledgement that a
learning environment can, and
should, inspire and stimulate,
create a sense of belonging,
support independence, and
promote happiness and
fulfilment has enabled designers
to design learning spaces that
are more flexible, innovative,
and more inspirational for
young people.
In recent years, however,
budgets and programmes have
become more constrained.
But this has led to even
more innovation, through
standardisation of processes,
components, materials, and
construction techniques.
Q: How do you think design
approaches will evolve in the
future?
A: The education sector is
rapidly evolving, with the lines
between education and business
becoming increasingly blurred.
Environments will need to
become much more flexible and
adaptable to cater to different
learning styles and teaching
methods that respond to new
technology and the skills
that will be required in the
workplaces of the future.
This could mean providing
a range of environments as
alternatives to the classroom,
from private study spaces for
more independent focused
learning, and breakout areas
for group work, to larger spaces
for shared experiences —
much like you would expect
to find in a modern workplace
environment.
We are seeing this
incorporated into some briefs,
but this should become the
norm in future school design.
This shift will better prepare
young people for the transition
from the classroom to the
workplace, a concept we’ve
witnessed evolving over our
recent education projects.
There will also be an increased
need to create sustainable
energy positive education
buildings and a continued
need to make sure buildings are
accessible by a range of users
outside of school hours to help
economic viability and be a
tool and resource for learning
itself. n
EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | 47

People
Taskforce calls for better
conditions for teachers
The Government’s Teacher
Workload Reduction
Taskforce has published early
recommendations from its work
to help minsters meet their
pledge to cut five hours from the
working week of all school staff.
Headline proposals include
ditching performance-related
pay (PRP) and introducing a
workload-focused inset day, although
the Government has indicated it will not
support the latter.
Describing PRP as ‘working poorly
in practice’, the taskforce recommends a
consultation on axing it in time for the
2024-25 academic year.
The Government has committed to
a ‘rapid’ review to replace PRP from
September 1 with a ‘less-bureaucratic
way to manage performance fairly and
transparently’.
The taskforce also said that schools and
trusts should consider assigning a senior
leader ‘with dedicated responsibility
for improving wellbeing and reducing
workload’.
RELIEVING THE BURDEN
And it said a revised list of administrative
tasks that teachers should not be required
to do should be reinserted in the school
teachers’ pay and conditions document
(STPCD). Examples include that teachers
should not collect money from pupils and
parents, have to manage getting cover for
absent teachers, do bulk photocopying,
or investigate a pupil’s absence. They also
should not have duties over ‘organisation,
decoration, and assembly’ of classrooms.
In addition, it ruled that the department
should ‘amend guidance to governors and
trustees so that the core function of strategic
leadership includes consideration of staff
workload and wellbeing’ when setting the
school’s or trust’s strategic priorities.
Responding to the recommendations,
James Zuccollo, director for school
workforce at the Education Policy Institute
(EPI), said:“Given the huge recruitment
and retention challenges facing schools,
and the significant concerns held by the
profession about the impact of teacher
workload, it is important that the
Government continues to work closely with
the sector to act on this pressing issue.
“One of the main recommendations
made by the taskforce is the removal of
Performance Related Pay requirements
(PRP).
A SENSIBLE STEP
“Research has shown that PRP
requirements have had a minimal impact
on school’s practices while creating an
additional administrative burden for
schools, so removing these would be a
sensible step.
“However, it is vitally important that we
retain the most-talented teachers in the
profession and financially rewarding them
for their outsized impact on pupils’ lives
may be part of the answer.
“Removing the PRP requirements
must not constrain headteachers’ ability
to reward and retain their best teachers,
particularly when average pay across the
profession continues to fall further behind
that of other graduate professions.”
The taskforce will now look at themes
including the impact and unintended
consequences of accountability on
workload, which will include school
inspections.
Also under the microscope will be
contractual provisions in the STPCD,
technological solutions, the impact
of pressures on wider public services
Research has
shown that PRP
requirements have
had a minimal
impact on school’s
practices while
creating an additional
administrative
burden for schools, so
removing these would
be a sensible step.
on schools, parental expectations, and
complaints, and culture across the
education system.
And they will also continue exploring
‘as a matter of urgency’ further options to
strengthen the implantation of the 2016
workload review group recommendations.
Final recommendations will be put to
government, Ofsted, and school and trust
leaders by the end of March. n
48 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM

People
LocateED staff join D&I committees
LocatED’s commitment to promoting
greater diversity and inclusion (D&I)
within the education property market
has been demonstrated in recent weeks
as four members of staff have taken up
sought-after positions on two important
industry committees.
LocatED is an arm’s-length body to the
Department for Education, set up in 2017
to support the delivery of world-class
education settings across England.
And Nimo Ege, Nadia Persaud, and Alex
Ward have recently been appointed to the
latest cohort of the Government Property
Diversity & Inclusion Shadow Board.
The board comprises government property
professionals from more-junior grades and/
or under-represented groups and mirrors
the Property Leaders Board, discussing the
same proposals and papers and providing
insight and challenge to be considered by
senior leaders.
Former pupil named
head of Ipswich School
Nick Gregory
Ipswich School, a public school for pupils aged three to 18, has
appointed former pupil Nick Gregory as its head, replacing
Nicholas Weaver.
Since 2015 Gregory has been head of day and boarding school,
Wycliffe College in Gloucestershire and while in the position he
improved academic standards, developed boarding, increased pupil
numbers, raised the school’s profile both nationally and abroad, and
led a wide-range of building and facilities projects.
He said of the role: “I feel exceptionally honoured to have been
asked to lead the next chapter of Ipswich School’s long and
illustrious history.
“Nick Weaver will hand on a school in extraordinarily good
shape characterised by, among many other things, a notable and
richly-deserved reputation for excellence in music and the arts,
outstanding academic achievement in a wide range of subject
areas, and a recent record of enormous success in sport.”
EDI appointments Rav Cheema, Nadia Persaud, Nimo Ege, Alex Ward
There is also a mutual mentoring element,
pairing up mentors with a property leader
mentee to help better understand barriers
faced by staff and identify ways to tackle
them.
Meanwhile, LocatED’s Rav Cheema has
secured a place on the Real Estate Balance
Policy and Campaigns Committee (PCC) for
the next three years.
The PCC is Real Estate Balance’s primary
diversity and inclusion activity development
and thought leadership forum.
Property consultancy, Savills,
has expanded its sustainability
team with the appointment
of its first climate risk and
resilience consultant, Sarah
Brayshaw.
She joins as an associate
director and has more than
seven years experience in the
sustainability sector, specialising
in climate risk and resilience.
Previously working for Deloitte,
she supported banking and
capital market firms to embed
climate risk and ESG into
financial decision-making
processes as part of regulatory
requirements.
Prior to this, she also worked
as a catastrophe risk analyst at
Willis Towers Watson, as well as
having an academic background
in meteorology and climate
science from the University of
Reading.
At Savills, Brayshaw will act
as the principle climate risk
and resilience consultant and
will lead the development and
delivery of the team’s climate
physical risk service line across
Commenting on the appointments,
LocatED chief executive, Lara Newman,
said: “Promoting greater diversity and
inclusivity across the property industry is
important to LocatED as a company and me
personally.
“As such, I am delighted to see such
passionate and talented individuals earn
places on these boards and not only have
the opportunity to grow professionally, but
also have a positive impact on the wider
industry.”
Savills creates new
sustainability role
Sarah Brayshaw
all sectors, including education.
She said: “It has never been
more important for businesses
to be aware of climate risk and
real estate is part of the solution.
“I look forward to both
reducing climate change
impacts, improving resilience,
and adapting property portfolios
in order to make a meaningful
impact for those in the sector.”
50 | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 EDUCATION-PROPERTY.COM