A further 250 schools will be rebuilt under the School Rebuilding Programme, the government has announced.
Funding for the programme, which currently includes just over 500 schools, has been extended until 2034-35. In its published today, the government said this would enable a further 250 schools to join the programme.
The School Rebuilding Programme investment will now total almost £20 billion from 2025-26 to 2034-35, the strategy adds.
The Department for Education had committed to extending funding for the programme out to 2034-35 at the Spending Review earlier this month.
Funding for school buildings
School maintenance funding will also rise from £2.4 billion in 2025-26 to £2.9 billion by 2034-35.
The School Rebuilding Programme was first announced in 2020, under the previous government, to carry out major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at schools and colleges.
In the strategy, the government says “the stop-start nature of funding for capital programmes over time lowered the market’s confidence and did not provide long-term certainty to maximise investment in the technology, training and skills needed to support delivery of projects”.
The DfE is currently procuring construction frameworks, and new school buildings will be delivered to updated specifications.
Capital spending on education
The government will invest £38 billion in capital projects for education from 2025-26 to 2029-30.
This comes after several sector leaders warned that the DfE’s capital settlement at the Spending Review would not be enough to significantly make an impact on the large backlog of maintenance the schools estate is facing.
In 2021 the DfE estimated schools in England faced a repair bill of around £11.4 billion. Unions have previously called for an extra £4 billion of investment per year.
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