Empty classroom blocks in line to be torn down will be visited by surveyors on the eve of their demolition in a bid to understand more about the school estate. Government officials will trial the project as they believe checks of soon-to-be-razed buildings could provide them with the “ideal opportunity” to learn about the structures without disturbing lessons. They will look to roll out the pre-demolition surveys to blocks being torn down as part of the school rebuilding programme, “depending on the results of the pilot”. ‘Best opportunity’ This comes after the Department for Education adopted the method during a study to boost its understanding of schools constructed after World War II. A report detailing the researchers’ findings said: “We will pilot carrying out surveys of buildings that are due to be demolished. “Prior to demolition, finishings are typically removed to expose the structure of the building, providing an ideal opportunity to learn about the structure without disruption to an operational school.” The study – comprising surveys of 70 teaching blocks across 62 schools – was launched “to investigate the condition and structural performance of education buildings from the post-war period as they aged”. It concluded the “structural integrity of buildings was generally better than anticipated”. There were no materials or “structural arrangements” previously unknown to DfE found during the study, nor any new safety risks discovered. ‘More susceptible’ But the researchers noted some post-war designs were “more susceptible to deterioration and require proactive management and maintenance”. This included some having “cladding that was prone to trapping water” and roof trusses with upturned channels that tend to capture leaking rain rather than allow it to drip away freely. Despite this, the report said there is “no requirement for education buildings constructed prior to 1970 to be upgraded to meet current requirements”. The department has issued a guide for estates maintenance staff on managing older buildings on the back of the research. This outlines common construction types and maintenance issues with them.