It seems that the education sector received a blow from the Spring Budget this year, with the government revising their proposed 2.7% increase in funding and bringing it down to only 1.9%.

‘Unions said this revision equated to £370 million less funding. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) previously warned that school’s costs were increasing at around the same rate as their funding, meaning school budgets were “stagnating” in real terms’ TES Magazine

Despite this disappointing turn of events, many schools are still in need of refurbishment, expansion or extension, coping with growing housing provision in their areas.

In Oxfordshire in 2018 the Oxford Mail reported that 29 new schools were to be built, and we saw 10 opened in 2023, with further plans to increase school building in line with housing growth.

But what about refurbishing existing schools?

The government’s School Rebuilding Programme carries out major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at school and sixth-form college buildings across England, with buildings prioritised according to their condition. There are currently 513 school projects in the programme, announced since 2021. Whilst the application for funding through these means has closed, the ‘winning’ schools are still being announced.

In February (2024) the government revealed the fifth and final wave of school projects to win funding. 110 schools across the UK were named as in need of (government funding for) refurbishment. That’s on top of the 403 announced previously.

But the question is, how can the budget be protected when refurbishing or extending a school?

The only answer is by careful planning and strict management.

This is where our process comes in to protect that precious budget and ensure building works are completed on time.

Enquiry phase of school refurbishment

Working closely with our appointed contact we strive to highlight the priorities of the project, not only in the outcome of the work, but also considerations such as security, sustainability, green energy, design and so on.

We have considerable expertise in working within the education sector and so understand the need for strict boundaries.

Planning phase

This is the stage at which our formal proposal document is completed and presented to all concerned. As Principal Contractor we celebrate and encourage collaboration across all skills and trades involved in a refurbishment project and so our proposal includes how this is achieved.

Safety is at the forefront of any construction project, and Refurb PR includes mental wellbeing alongside physical safety in the planning phase. Our Safe Contractor accreditation and £5m level of insurance means our schools can feel confident in all aspects of delivery.

The school refurbishment proposal

This is never set in stone at the first presentation. We are fully collaborative and therefore expect our clients to have an input and ideas that could be included in the project. However, for the most part, our proposal details the design, cost, timeframe, areas or responsibility and terms of appointment.

Appointment for the refurbishment of educational facilities

Once the proposal is agreed upon we begin to appoint collaborators and resources to begin the refurbishment.

We pride ourselves on completing 100% of our school refurbishment projects on time and within the agreed budget.

‘The Cuffley programme of works has had many phases and varied project requirements, and Refurb have delivered every time; from handling the curveballs that we throw at them through to the delivery of a fresh modern and practical site. The Refurb team really understand our vision and have helped us achieve a remarkable centre.’ Cuffley Camp

But, not all refurbs are as large as Cuffley, The Towers or Sealyham outdoor education centres. Pictured above is Geoffrey Fields Junior School, Reading who appointed Refurb to transform a tired ICT suite into a new library and resource centre.

If you have a strict budget for your school refurbishment project and need a disciplined team to work with, call Refurb today to make an initial enquiry.

Your school is in safe hands.