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Buildings and Estates

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We help Church schools care for, maintain and develop their buildings so that they remain safe, sustainable and inspiring places to learn. From capital funding and major building projects to estate planning, compliance and maintenance, our team works alongside school leaders, governors and trust leaders to support the effective stewardship of their school estate.

As part of our commitment to responsible stewardship, we support schools to consider sustainability, energy efficiency and the journey towards net zero when planning improvements to their buildings and grounds. We work with schools to ensure that investment in their estate not only addresses immediate needs, but also contributes to a more sustainable future.

We also administer and advise on a range of government and diocesan capital funding programmes, helping schools secure investment for essential maintenance, repairs and improvement projects.

Funding and Capital Programmes

The governing bodies of Voluntary Aided (VA) schools, and academy trusts in the case of academies, are responsible for maintaining and developing their school buildings.

The SDBE provides advice and support on the following funding streams:

  • Condition Improvement Fund (CIF)
    A government-funded programme that eligible academies and smaller multi-academy trusts can apply to for condition, compliance and expansion projects.

  • Devolved Formula Capital (DFC)
    Annual capital funding allocated directly to schools to support local building and estate priorities.

  • School Condition Allocation (SCA)
    Annual funding allocated directly to larger multi-academy trusts to manage condition and maintenance priorities across their estates.

  • Voluntary Aided School Condition Allocation (VA-SCA)
    Funding allocated to the SDBE for the benefit of VA schools. Schools submit bids annually, with projects prioritised in line with Department for Education criteria and diocesan priorities.

How We Support Schools

Our buildings and estates team supports schools with:

  • Capital funding applications and project bidding
  • Building maintenance and condition planning
  • Major capital and improvement projects
  • Estate strategy and asset management
  • Sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives
  • Compliance and statutory responsibilities
  • Advice on land, buildings and property matters
  • Stewardship of Church school sites and assets

Resources for Our Schools

Many of the detailed resources, guidance materials, templates and tools that support our work with schools are available through our Services to Schools subscription.

Schools can access these resources through the secure schools' portal.