Andy and I share a phrase that I’ve always enjoyed: “Good estate management should be boring.”
I’ll repeat that: Boring. That sounds a bit odd, right? Schools don’t usually aspire to make things boring. But in this case, boring is exactly what you want.
Think about it. It means the planned maintenance happens when it should. Actions are recorded and followed up. Budgets reflect what’s coming, and the person responsible for the estate isn’t constantly being pulled from one ‘emergency’ to the next.
Yes, fewer surprises, even less drama, and no need for someone to come to the rescue. That’s what good school estate management should look like.
The DfE describes Level 3 of the School Estate Management Standards (SEMS) as “fully effective”. It’s the point at which schools and responsible bodies have the components in place to manage their estate efficiently and effectively.
But I think it’s easy to misinterpret what that means.
SEMS Level 3 isn’t about having shiny newly painted rooms and clutter-free corridors. It doesn’t mean every building is modern, every asset is new, or nothing ever goes wrong. Some of these things are beyond your control, anyway. It means you have a mature system.
Your planned preventative maintenance is recorded. Any corrective actions are tracked. You have reliable information about your assets, clear accountability and plans for work that needs doing but you can’t complete immediately.
So, you might not have the funding to replace something today, but you understand the risk, know what it’s likely to cost, and you have a plan to address it. That’s far more valuable than simply looking well-maintained on the surface. Anyone can splash a bit of paint on something. It doesn’t make it new and functioning.
Many schools have a brilliant caretaker or site manager who seems to hold the whole place together. I know a few. Brilliant people. They know which boiler makes a strange noise, which contractor to call, and where years of certificates, service records and maintenance notes are kept. When something goes wrong, they know exactly what to do. And that knowledge is incredibly valuable.
The thing is, if the knowledge ONLY exists in their head, that creates significant risk for the school. What happens when they’re off sick or have an accident? What happens when they leave, or retire? Can someone else find the information they need and confidently pick up the next statutory check, contractor visit, or outstanding action?
A well-managed estate shouldn’t depend on your ‘heroes’ intervening week after week. The system should support your site team, preserve their knowledge, and allow others to understand what’s been done, what needs doing and who’s responsible.
Look, these ‘hero’ caretakers are amazing. I’m not talking about diminishing their role. I’m talking about giving them proper support and making sure their experience becomes part of the school’s long-term knowledge. That way, the school keeps running smoothly no matter what.
Andy compares estate management to taking an older car for its MOT. You might not want it to fail, but you’re not completely surprised when it does. You know it’s age. You’ve heard the knocks, rumbles and squeaks. You have a reasonable sense of what might be coming. Schools should know their estate in the same way.
If you have an aging boiler, you shouldn’t have to wait until it breaks down in the dead of winter before you start thinking about its replacement. With the right asset data and maintenance history, you can investigate your options early, carry out a feasibility study, build the cost into your plans and try to source suitable funding.
You also retain control over when that work happens. Without that planning, an emergency failure doesn’t just create a repair bill/ Site staff can spend days arranging contractors, moving temporary heaters around classrooms and responding to the immediate problem. You might even have to pay an unaccounted for premium. Meanwhile, your planned works and routine statutory checks risk falling behind. Good, well-maintained data helps you see that ripple effect before it happens.
If you’re considering what fully effective estate management might look like in your school or trust, start with a few simple questions:
Can someone other than your site manager find key statutory and maintenance records?
Are PPMs, corrective actions and outstanding work consistently documented?
Do you know the condition, age and likely replacement costs of your critical assets?
Are future works connected to realistic three-to-five-year plans and budgets?
Is accounting clear at both operational and governance levels?
Would the system continue working if a key member of the team were unexpectedly absent?
The DfE’s wider guidance on good estate management also emphasises documented processes, accessible estate information, strategic reviews and clear board-level accountability. None of this is glamorous. That’s precisely my point. It should be boring.
A mature estate management system should be calm and predictable. People know what needs doing, leaders can see what’s coming, and site teams have more time to complete the work that keeps the schools safe and operational.
“I’ll say it one last time for good measure: Good estate management should be boring. Your school day will provide more than enough excitement elsewhere.”