More than 200,000 building elements across England’s school buildings are now classed as deteriorating or at risk of failure, according to a new FOI dataset gathered and analysed by Portakabin
The data collected from local authorities shows over 181,000 school buildings in poor condition and a further 22,000 that have reached the end of life or require urgent replacement.
These issues highlight the need for a move towards modular classrooms and buildings as a safe, sustainable alternative.
Brendan Cornick, head of health, safety & environmental at Portakabin, stated: “The volume of Grade C and D level issues suggests that there are a huge number of school buildings operating beyond their intended life in England.
“We made this FOI request to understand the condition of school estates nationally, and what we found points to widespread deterioration across the system, not isolated cases.”
Over 200,000 school buildings at risk of imminent failure
The data shows more than 181,000 Grade C issues across England’s school buildings, alongside over 22,000 Grade D issues.
These are typically defined as follows:
- Grade C refers to elements that are in poor condition, often showing major defects or not performing as they should. These issues usually require significant repair or replacement in the short- to medium-term.
- Grade D refers to elements that have reached the end of their life or are at risk of imminent failure, meaning urgent replacement is needed.
These more serious categories can include ageing roofs, decaying brickwork, poor thermal performance, outdated heating systems and ageing electrical installations, all of which can increase running costs and impact day to day learning environments.
Regional disparities in damaged school buildings
By breaking the data down by region of England, the North East has the highest proportion of school conditions graded C or D – more than 13,000 of the < 178,000 school conditions were graded this way (a 7.62% share).
However, London has the highest number of Grade D level school condition issues of all regions analysed, with close to 5,000 records graded in this manner.
Cornick noted: “Each region has much more than 1,000 Grade D level issues. Just one Grade D level issue should be a cause for concern, as it highlights a severe problem that most likely requires urgent attention so that a school building remains safe and structurally sound.”
What does this mean for students?
These figures highlight that many English students are learning in school buildings designed for outdated energy conditions and teaching demands, rather than for today’s requirements.
“When pupils are studying in ageing buildings, they are usually based in classrooms that will be performing poorly in terms of temperature control, insulation and ventilation,” Cornick explained.
“These ongoing maintenance demands can ripple across the entire school, reducing funds for digital upgrades, accessibility, student services, and even the ability to create stable, future-focused learning environments.”
The increasing appeal of modular classrooms and buildings
Those in charge of updating England’s school buildings with Grade C or D issues should look towards modular buildings to make swift but effective alterations.
Modular classrooms and school buildings can be easily and quickly integrated into existing infrastructure or serve as the foundation for a completely new development.
They can also house any type of facility that an education provider may need, whether that is standard classrooms, soundproof music rooms, spacious lecture theatres or specialist laboratories and sports halls.
Any modular building will also be manufactured off-site before it is transported to a school’s location for installation. This means there will be less disruption and fewer concerns about students’ safety than there would be if a traditional construction site were set up around an educational establishment during the building work.
Simon Pollard, manufacturing director at Portakabin, concluded: “When it comes to both permanent and temporary Portakabin relocatable classrooms, quality is guaranteed by the fact that these structures are designed to meet or even exceed Department for Education guidelines.”
“All in all, modular classrooms offer a faster, safer and more sustainable way to refresh the school estate and provide children with modern spaces to learn.”
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