The UK government launches a 10‑year education estates strategy to transform school buildings, improve inclusivity, and deliver modern, resilient classrooms
The UK government has launched a 10‑year plan to revitalise schools and colleges, aiming to transform ageing estates and give every child access to modern, inclusive learning environments. Backed by billions in investment, the strategy will move beyond patch-and-repair maintenance, deliver climate-resilient buildings, and expand inclusion spaces for young people to learn safely.
Building a foundation for inclusive and resilient learning
This plan is intended to break the cycle of deteriorating classrooms and is backed by substantial government funding, ensuring ongoing improvements align with educational goals.
The Education Secretary has revealed a 10-year plan to transform the education estate so that young people and children across the country have high-quality classrooms that are fit for purpose and resilient to the effects of climate change.
The plan will make schools more inclusive by design, ensuring that all secondary schools will eventually have an inclusion base, a safe space away from busy classrooms where pupils can access specialist care whilst in a mainstream environment.
Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said: “For too long, schools and colleges have been forced to patch and mend buildings that have already deteriorated – spending their time worrying about leaking roofs instead of focusing on what matters most: giving every child the best possible education.
The Secretary added, “This 10-year plan marks a turning point. We’re breaking the cycle with national renewal for schools and colleges, supported by unprecedented long-term funding, including the £700 million Renewal and Retrofit Programme that tackles issues before they escalate.”
“This is about more than buildings – it’s about breaking down barriers to opportunity. Every child deserves to learn in a safe, accessible environment, with the right facilities to meet their needs and help them thrive.”
Transforming education estates for the future
The education estate strategy includes over £700 million for a new Renewal and Retrofit Programme to fix leaky roofs, repair broken heating systems, and protect schools from flooding – extending the life of school buildings by 15-40 years.
An additional £300 million is allocated to the Connect the Classroom initiative, which focuses on addressing the digital divide and upgrading school technology infrastructure to support modern teaching.
In total, the strategy is underpinned by £38 billion in capital investment from 2025-26 to 2029-30. This sum includes the Renewal and Retrofit Programme and Connect the Classroom, with the goal of creating schools that are fit for purpose, inclusive by design, resilient to climate change, and capable of supporting future educational needs.
Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to the government’s 10-year plan for the education estate.
“While we welcome investment in providing more inclusion bases in secondary schools, this is only one half of the equation. It is also important to ensure that schools are funded for the staffing that they will need to support more children and young people with SEND, and that they are able to draw on sufficient numbers of specialists, such as speech and language therapists and educational psychologists. We look forward to seeing the government’s plans on how it intends to reform the SEND system in its forthcoming Schools White Paper.
“The present government inherited a backlog of maintenance work which is needed for the school estate, estimated at £13.8 billion, because of more than a decade of neglect by previous administrations. We therefore welcome its estates strategy as a step forward in getting to grips with these issues. However, the fact remains that there is a huge amount of work that needs to be done to make sure every school building is at an appropriate standard for pupils and staff, and we are not convinced that there is enough money in the pot to deliver this at the scale or pace that is required.”
