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The condition of school buildings

Inquiry

In March 2022 the Public Accounts Committee reported on the risks to schools’ financial sustainability, including wide variations in the condition of individual schools and their funding.

The school estate in England comprises some 22,000 schools, with the majority overseen by the responsible body in control of the school, usually the relevant local authority or academy trust. The Department for Education (DfE) provides capital funding of around £5 billion each year and works with responsible bodies to help maintain and improve the condition of school buildings.

Based on a National Audit Office investigation into the condition of school buildings in England the Committee will question senior officials at the Department for Education on whether:

- they have a good understanding of the condition of school buildings;

- they have appropriate arrangements in place to allocate funding for school buildings in line with need; and

- whether they can give assurance that funding for school buildings is being used efficiently and effectively.

If you have evidence on these issues please submit it here by 23:59 on Thursday 6 July.

Please look at the requirements for written evidence submissions and note that the Committee cannot accept material as evidence that is published elsewhere. 

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was Thursday 6 July 2023.

Reports, special reports and government responses

View all reports and responses
Second Report - The condition of school buildings
Inquiry The condition of school buildings
HC 78
Report
Response to this report
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Second report from Session 2023-24
HC 78
Government Response
Response to this report
Correspondence from Susan Acland-Hood, Permanent Secretary, Department for Education, re The condition of school buildings, dated 16 February 2024
HC 78
Correspondence
Correspondence from Susan Acland-Hood, Permanent Secretary, Department for Education, re The condition of school buildings, dated 16 February 2024
Inquiry The condition of school buildings
HC 78
Correspondence
Correspondence from Susan Acland-Hood, Permanent Secretary, Department for Education, re Condition of School Buildings, dated 7 September 2023
Inquiry The condition of school buildings
Correspondence

Oral evidence transcripts

View all oral evidence transcripts
11 September 2023
Inquiry The condition of school buildings
Oral Evidence
13 July 2023
Inquiry The condition of school buildings
Witnesses Department for Education, Department for Education, and Department for Education
Oral Evidence
Catholic Education Service (TSB0001)
NAHT, school leadership union (TSB0002)
Manufacturing Technology Centre (TSB0003)

Contact us

  • Email: pubaccom@parliament.uk
  • Phone: 020 7219 8480 (media enquiries)
  • Address: Public Accounts Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA