EBOOK: How academies can fund expansion through Section 106 grants
Download our eBook guide on “How academies can fund expansion through Section 106 grants”
The UK’s growing population is putting pressure on academies and Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) to expand in line with rising pupil numbers. According to Schools Week, secondary schools alone will have to cope with more than 400,000 extra pupils by 2027.
New housing developments are a major source of this pressure, often with hundreds of homes attracting young families. Academies and MATs face building new classrooms, sports facilities and staff areas to accommodate the extra pupils. Funding for such expansion can be a headache, but one route is Section 106 funding. This is money collected from developers by local authorities to be spent on community and social infrastructure – and schools are a prime example.
However, applying for these funds can be complex. Academies and MATs may find that engaging qualified chartered building surveyors to help offers the greatest chance of success.
We have written an ebook to provide a brief guide to the opportunities that S106 funding can offer your academy or MAT when a new housing development means you need to expand.
The ebook explores:
What is Section 106?
Section 106 funding (S106) is money contributed by housing developers to support local community services and social infrastructure.
How it can help your academy or MAT
As well as classrooms, there will be staffroom space, sports facilities and changing rooms, larger kitchens, storage and parking all to be planned for and funded. S106 funding can pay for these capital works and allow academies and MATs to create an optimal learning environment for pupils and teaching conditions for staff.
Who is eligible
Any academy or MAT needing additional capital to support their services and help manage the impact of housing developments is eligible
How is it calculated
Funding varies depending on the local planning authority and the development schemes underway in the area, and policy differs across the country.
What to look out for
There are a number of pitfalls in the S106 allocation system, which may help to explain why so much potential funding goes unspent
How to apply
If you are eligible for funding, you will need to liaise with your LEA. The process may not be automatic, however, and you may need to build a case for support. To demonstrate a pressing need to expand may require expert input.
How Surveyors to Education can help
Our aim is to provide the authority with all the information it needs to both award S106 funding and to justify its decision to the public and other schools in the area.
We hope you find the eBook informative and useful, however if you need any further support please do not hesitate to contact us on 01530 877 969 or email on enquire@s2e.org.uk.
