When you take on the management of an academy’s estate you also take responsibility for a whole raft of surveys and assessments: fire risk assessments, energy efficiency surveys and sports facilities assessments to name but a few.

But one survey should be top of the list for any business manager with a vision of the future for their academy or Multi-Academy Trust (MAT); it is the condition survey.

Why have a condition survey?

The purpose of a condition survey is to build a complete picture of your academy’s material state, identifying those premises in need of improvement and prioritising deficiencies and maintenance issues.

It also provides crucial documentary evidence for a MAT, when prioritising its Schools Condition Allocations (SCA), or for an Academy in support of its applications for a Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) grant.

In addition, academies must now have an asset management strategy in place which normally includes a cycle of condition surveys, typically every five years. A condition survey also meets the new Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) requirement for academies to submit information for the Land and Buildings Collection Tool (LBCT).

What is a condition survey?

A condition survey is carried out by qualified surveyors and provides objective information about the condition of your premises. It uses a common grading system to enable fair comparison across sites and allow effective prioritisation.

A condition survey includes:

• A description and narrative of findings,

• Clear condition grades of individual premises within the estate,

• Recommendations for remedial works or replacements, and their costings,

• Identification of associated risks and priorities,

• Information about other benefits, for example energy savings,

• Weather conditions at the time of the survey and in the week prior to it should also be recorded.

Unlocking your academy’s potential

A condition survey can vary in cost from a few hundred pounds to more than a thousand, depending on the extent of the estate being surveyed. However, it could unlock a much greater sum that allows your academy to create a safer, more conducive learning environment for students.

For more information about condition surveys, how to bid successfully for CIF funding or to get help prioritising your SCA, please contact S2e, call 01530 276127 or email enquire@s2e.org.uk.