‘End heartbreak of books versus pipes’, government urged, amid NAHT findings
A damning poll has revealed school buildings blighted by leaking roofs and windows, damp, mould, asbestos, ageing boilers and fire doors, and even MDF holding up walls.
The shocking findings were highlighted in a survey by school leaders’ union NAHT ahead of its annual conference in Belfast on May 1-2.
It found 51% of its members taking part in England had buildings or areas that were out of use or not fit for purpose.
Leaders are calling for more capital funding for the school estate, with one urging action to ‘end the heartbreak of books versus pipes’ as teaching budgets are increasingly raided to fund vital repairs and maintenance.
More than nine in ten (96%) respondents said they did not receive sufficient capital funding to maintain their school’s buildings and estate.
Nearly three quarters (73%) said toilet blocks were closed (8%) or not fit for purpose (65%).
More than three-quarters (76%) said their schools had basic building infrastructure like windows, roofs and doors which was unfit for purpose, while 3% said some of these facilities were out of use.
Almost two-thirds (64%) said playgrounds were not fit for purpose (56%) or closed (8%), while the respective figures for individual classrooms were 52% and 7%.
Whole school blocks or mobile classroom blocks were described as being closed by 7% of leaders, while 26% said such blocks were unfit for purpose.
At a time when the government is proposing reforms it says will equip mainstream schools to support more pupils with special educational needs (SEND), almost half of leaders said specialist SEND facilities such as dedicated classrooms, sensory rooms and outdoor spaces were not fit for purpose (41%) or closed (3%).
Darren Brown, head teacher at Longwell Green Primary School in Longwell Green near Bristol, said: “If budget were no impediment, the single greatest improvement would be to move from reactive ‘make do and mend’ maintenance to really positive, long-term planning.
“We would finally move past patching up crumbling infrastructure and instead provide the high-quality environments that children truly deserve; modern and inspiring. This would end the heartbreak of books vs pipes, for example, meaning funding is never moved from learning to fix a leaking roof or broken boiler.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Some of the stories we have heard from school leaders about the state of their buildings, and their struggles to secure the funding needed to rectify things, really beggar belief.
“No child or teacher should be expected to operate in draughty, crumbling buildings – doing so can risk their leaning, health, and safety.
“Children deserve modern, fit-for-purpose schools with fantastic facilities, but where we still have ageing buildings which aren’t even warm or watertight, that sadly feels like a pipe dream for many leaders.”
NAHT members will debate a motion at their conference calling on the union’s national executive to lobby the government to fully-fund essential capital expenditure across all state schools in England. It calls for a level playing field so access to funding is prioritised based upon need and safety and no longer dependent on school type.
Mr Whiteman added: “We know the UK government inherited a school estate in a mess, and we recognise there is additional investment planned through the new 10-year estates strategy.
“But it is unclear whether this will be enough and the truth is some schools are in a desperate situation right now. This survey shows the sheer scale of the challenge ahead, especially with the prospect of events in the Middle East fuelling inflation.”
The National Audit Office has estimated the cost of restoring school buildings in England to at least a satisfactory condition at £13.8bn.
While the government recently expanded the school rebuilding programme to cover an additional 250 schools, taking the number to 750 by 2035, that means it would still take more than 400 years to rebuild all 22,000 state schools.
Steve Hitchcock, head teacher at St Peter's CE Primary School in Budleigh Salterton and NAHT’s Devon branch secretary, said: “I need to replace old temporary classrooms. I have to throw good money after bad, just to keep repairing leaks and issues.
“I don't have enough money to replace carpets and decorate - simple annual tasks. The school estate is being run down. The longer this goes on the more money it will cost in the long run.
“Last year we ran a major fundraising campaign to bridge the gap in funding, including a pupil-led ‘Run the School Day’ which raised £13,000. It was a brilliant example of pupil voice and community spirit, but it does raise a serious question about why schools are having to rely on this level of effort just to meet basic needs.
“In the past month alone, I’ve secured a £30,000 grant from a local charity to repair two classrooms. We are incredibly grateful for that generosity, but it highlights the growing challenge schools face in compensating for the decline in capital funding over the last decade.”
