The Autumn Return: Now We Know
Back in June, I published a piece about the SEMS Annual Return with an honest caveat baked into the title: there was sti …
Your Energy Supplier May Be Fine. Your Contract Isn't.
An academy trust could be perfectly satisfied with its energy supplier and still have a problem after September. Under t …
GEMS telecoms update: what schools and trusts need to know
On 3 July 2026, the Department for Education updated its Good estate management for schools guidance with revised inform …
£314m Is Leaving School Capital. That's Not The Real Story
Somewhere inside the Department for Education's £31.4 billion capital budget, £314 million is being quietly redirected. …
A Day in the Life of a School Site Manager
5:55 a.m. Alarm goes before it needs to. He's awake anyway. Kettle on, one strong tea, radio low so he doesn't wake Kare …
The week your fire strategy gets propped open
It’s 30 degrees outside, but step inside a south-facing classroom mid-afternoon and it feels closer to an oven. The air …
England's school sprinkler rethink
I was visiting a school last week and as we were walking up to the office we passed a new block being built on site. We …
The Autumn Return: What We Know, What We Don't.
Most people in the sector have heard of Manage Your Education Estate by now — the DfE's new digital platform, live since …
2026 Guide to Buying School Compliance and Premises Software
Most schools buying compliance software in 2026 will make the wrong choice — not because good platforms don't exist, but …
The DfE's Renewal and Retrofit Programme Is Live. The Question Isn't Whether Your Building Qualifies.
The pilot is already running. Around 50 projects are underway across schools in the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Hum …
