Rebuilding and renewing the school estate at this scale requires a different approach. Ron Clarke, Chief Executive Officer at McAvoy, said:
Ron Clarke, Chief Executive Officer at McAvoy
The new Education Estates Strategy sets out the right ambition to futureproof schools, and the Department for Education (DfE) should be credited for it. We’re now at a crucial point where to improve, renew, build and rebuild the estate at this scale will only be possible if innovative delivery models are embraced to meet the speed, volume, and quality that the Strategy demands.
When addressing this challenge, we can’t forget the impact on learning and the importance of continuity. Schools will need access to suitable learning environments while essential maintenance or rebuild works happen. This will be pivotal to keep education running throughout the process for across the education estate.
In our experience, the DfE already recognises this. Since 2012, McAvoy has worked closely on numerous DfE projects, including those undergoing rebuild or renewal. The DfE Construction Framework 2025 (CF25) has also placed a greater emphasis on modular alongside traditional construction approaches, by awarding modular specialists, like McAvoy, all lots.
In this context, speed and quality are non-negotiable. With modular’s strong building performance, excellent efficiency standards, and the flexibility to accommodate SEND inclusion, this quality can be delivered in weeks, and not the years that traditional build programmes can take. Embracing this approach will become increasingly important in supporting the scale and urgency of the works required.
As the Strategy is implemented over the next decade, the ability to renew schools without disrupting education will be one of the defining challenges. Embracing modern, flexible delivery approaches will be essential to ensuring pupils benefit now, and not only once long-term construction programmes are complete.