DfE SRP 2026: Up to 250 Schools Will Be Selected — Will Yours Be One?

If your school buildings have moved beyond routine maintenance and require total replacement, the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) is typically the primary funding route.

Rather than a standard grant, the SRP is a centrally delivered capital programme. The Department for Education (DfE) funds the project and manages the major construction, working in partnership with your Responsible Body (RB) to deliver the new site (DfE guidance on SRP).

The Scale: The DfE’s policy trajectory is to expand the programme by up to 250 schools across upcoming rounds, rather than holding a single intake for 2026 (SRP nomination guidance; TES overview).

The Outcome: Selected sites receive a brand-new or fully refurbished building designed to the strict DfE Output Specification (OS), which generally aligns with Net Zero Carbon in Operation (NZCiO) principles (DfE Output Specification).

Key Dates and the Nomination Portal

The nomination portal is currently open. The deadline to submit a nomination is midday on Thursday, 23 April 2026 (SRP nomination portal guidance).

This deadline is the main cutoff to enter the pipeline for this round. Entries submitted after this point will not typically be considered for the current cycle.

Who Submits the Nomination?

Individual schools cannot nominate themselves for the SRP. Nominations must be submitted by your Responsible Body—the entity that legally oversees the estate (DfE guidance):

• Academies: Your Multi-Academy Trust (MAT).
• Maintained Schools: Your Local Authority (LA).
• Voluntary Aided Schools: Typically your Diocese or Governing Body.

To be considered, you have to present a case to your RB so they put your site forward as a priority.

How to Qualify: The Two Routes

Simply having an aging building is not enough. You must prove severe condition need through one of two commonly recognised pathways:

(Note: DfE guidance focuses on demonstrating extensive severe condition need and safety risk, rather than fixed thresholds.)

The Evidence Requirement

The DfE requires more than the high-level snapshots provided in your existing Condition Data Collection (CDC2) reports (CDC programme overview).

To build a successful nomination, your RB must provide additional professional evidence, ideally recent, to prove the exact severity of the deterioration. This includes:

• Structural engineer surveys
• Specialist building reports
• Clear photographic evidence

This aligns with DfE expectations for robust, verifiable condition evidence to support prioritisation decisions (SRP guidance).

The New DfE Output Specification (OS)

If you secure an SRP spot, the new build must adhere to the latest DfE Output Specification. This standard is heavily data-driven and increasingly reflects a Net Zero approach, including:

• Net Zero Carbon in Operation (NZCiO): Significant use of air source heat pumps, extensive solar arrays, and high-performance building fabrics, with a strong move away from fossil fuels.
• Climate Resilience: Buildings must be explicitly designed to mitigate future climate risks, specifically overheating and flooding.
• Modern Methods of Construction (MMC): A strong shift towards standardised, factory-built components to speed up delivery.

These requirements are set out within the DfE’s Output Specification and technical annexes (DfE OS documents).

Even if a site does not secure an SRP spot this round, these OS standards clearly signal the DfE's direction of travel. Future capital funding and Renewal & Retrofit grants will increasingly favour estates that align with this Net Zero approach.

Next Steps

If a specific block or school within your trust meets the indicative 1,200m² threshold or the exceptional case criteria, the immediate step is to confirm whether your Responsible Body has logged into the portal and started gathering the required professional evidence.

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