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New DfE Guidance on Long-Term Estates Plan – What Education Estates Need to Know

  • Writer: OMNIA Building Consultants
    OMNIA Building Consultants
  • Mar 2
  • 3 min read

The Department for Education (DfE) launched its new Manage Your Education Estate portal on 25 February. This follows the unveiling of its ambitious 10-year plan to transform England’s Education Estate and the replacement of the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) with a new capital maintenance programme.


Alongside this launch, the DfE has published new guidance on Condition Surveys (click to read our earlier blog on this). This guidance aims to support schools and colleges in developing robust, long-term estates strategies.


Developing Your Long-Term Estates Plan


On 25th February, the DfE published new guidance to help schools and colleges plan, prioritise, and deliver estate improvements. These improvements should address condition, suitability, resilience, and decarbonisation.


Note: Further guidance and case studies will be published by the DfE in September 2026.


School building and grounds

This guidance outlines a structured seven-step process to support schools and colleges in planning and delivering estate improvements.


Step 1: Establish Your Estate Vision and Objectives


Consider how your buildings and land will support high-quality education now and in the future. This vision should respond to the growing pressures of aging assets, climate change, and rising energy costs.


Step 2: Understand and Baseline Your Estate


Before planning what building works should be included in your long-term estates plan, gain a comprehensive understanding of your estate. This foundational knowledge is critical for informed decision-making.


Step 3: Assess the Condition and Urgent Risks of Your Estate


Utilise reliable condition information to:

  • Identify defects

  • Understand risks

  • Prioritise interventions in a planned and proportionate way


Step 4: Assess the Suitability and Sufficiency of Your Estate


Use the net capacity assessment tool to ensure you have enough space to accommodate the curriculum's needs and the school’s wider requirements. Assess the condition of your buildings to determine their suitability for educational purposes.


Step 5: Identify Your Resilience and Decarbonisation Priorities


Recognise any climate-related risks, such as flooding and overheating, while maintaining safe learning environments. Understanding your carbon emissions is essential for effective decarbonisation strategies.


Step 6: Define a Strategic Approach to Renewal and Retrofit


  • Develop an estate masterplan.

  • Consider funding, procurement, and resourcing.

  • Engage experts to support surveys, design, and delivery.

  • Consider compliance, assurance, educational value, implementation, maintenance, and monitoring.


Step 7: Develop a Plan of Work


Using the strategic approach established in Step 6, create a plan of work. This plan should translate your estate strategy into a deliverable, phased programme of interventions. Clearly outline:

  • What will be done

  • When it will be done

  • Why it will be done


Also, consider available funding, operational constraints, and educational priorities.


Importance of Long-Term Planning


Long-term planning is crucial for the sustainability of educational estates. It allows institutions to anticipate future needs and challenges. By following the DfE's guidance, schools and colleges can create a roadmap that ensures their facilities remain fit for purpose.


Benefits of a Well-Structured Estates Plan


A well-structured estates plan provides numerous benefits, including:


  • Enhanced Learning Environments: Improved facilities lead to better educational outcomes.

  • Cost Efficiency: Strategic planning can reduce long-term operational costs.

  • Sustainability: Addressing decarbonisation helps meet environmental goals.


Collaborating with Experts


Working with specialists can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your estates strategy. OMNIA’s team of specialist Education Building Consultants can support you at every stage of your estates journey. We align our efforts with the DfE’s seven-step process to help deliver estate improvements that address condition, suitability, resilience, and decarbonisation, ensuring your buildings are fit for the future.


If you would like support in reviewing your existing strategy or developing a new long-term estates plan in line with DfE’s guidance, our team can help you.




If you'd like to discuss how this may affect your schools or forward plans, we're happy to help.


Call Us: 07355 602070


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