Managing
Building Work
As funding
is made available directly to schools, there is added
responsibility and opportunity for schools to manage building work
directly. This also applies where responsibility for Premises
Management is delegated to service departments.
With the
introduction of Devolved Capital and increased delegation in
relation to Schools, it is extremely important that governors plan
and manage their premises and site to achieve good financial and
strategic management. Schools Development Plans should
include premises management and development - Property and Asset
Management will lead to development of these plans. The AMP
for the school is the key tool for this task.
In view of the
increasing delegation of funds, Governors now have greater
responsibilities. With expenditure on property, resources are
always scarce meaning it is often not possible to fund schemes in a
way that schools or the LEA would wish. There is however a
great importance to take a holistic approach to property issues and
not cut corners.
Schools should
have property information readily available to develop an annual
maintenance programme and building development plan.
Both programme and
plan should link to other schools development plans in order for
schools to realise issues such as:
-
Health &
Safety (including Statutory Testing, Inspection, Asbestos
Management and Compliance issues)
-
Essential daily
maintenance
-
Meeting National
Curriculum requirements
-
Linking
accommodation needs with falling rolls and/or increasing pupil
numbers
For more
information about school development plans and managing building
work please consult the following publications:
Both of which are
available to download from
the
Teachernet web site.
