CIF | Schools Week

Schools’ repair bill ‘much higher’ than £13.8bn estimate

High-ranking Whitehall official warns cost to fix crumbling estate ‘almost certain’ to be more than thought

Emergency capital cash handouts soar to £12m after funding squeeze

Funding for urgent work jumps 300% in 12 months, as experts warn figures are ‘sign of the times’

Risk of school buildings collapsing now ‘very likely’, DfE says

Government escalates dealing with school classroom safety to cross-government board after a rise in reported ‘serious structural issues’

‘Discrimination’: Small trusts denied two-thirds of repairs cash

One school has seen six bids to replace a dilapidated classroom rejected, sparking claims rural schools are at a disadvantage

Schools told to hike contributions to boost repairs grant bids

Schools must double their contributions to score top marks in CIF bids

Small academy trusts told to use reserves to fund urgent safety repairs

The government has warned small academy trusts and sixth form colleges they will be denied funding for urgent health and safety repairs if they could use their own reserves instead. The Department for Education published revised guidance on “urgent capital support” (UCS) funding today, tweaking eligibility rules. The UCS pot is earmarked for “urgent condition […]

School repairs derailed by ‘inexplicable’ CIF delays and material shortages

Schools have been forced to delay building repairs by up to a year after the government awarded condition improvement funding almost two months later than usual. Some of the 1,199 schools which received CIF awards last month face an anxious wait to hear if contractors and the DfE will agree to defer projects no longer […]