A government scheme that sent qualified capital advisers into 70 academy trusts found four in five did not have sufficient data on the condition of their buildings.
This is despite the government having conducted a survey of every school in the country between 2017 and 2019 and shared those reports with schools, trusts and councils.
An evaluation of the pilot and first phase of the government’s “capital advisers programme” also found most trusts lacked asset management plans and estates strategies.
But the scheme received positive feedback from trusts, with 12 chains reporting estimated savings of £600,000 between them. The programme will now expand this year to a further 70 trusts.
