The Department for Education (DfE) has signed contracts with three major firms for school construction projects
Kier, Morgan Sindall, and Bowmer & Kirkland are among those that have been awarded DfE school construction contracts.
The contracts all began on 20 October, and are expected to be completed in the coming years to 2031.
Kier have the largest contract
At £69m, Kier have the highest value job to rebuild Upton-by-Chester High School, scheduled to be finished in July 2028.
Tilbury Douglas then have the next largest, with three contracts worth a combined £74m. The contracts relate to Pershore High School, Applebee Wood Community Specialist School, and East Durham College.
Next up, Bowmer & Kirkland have landed a £44m contract for Gosford Hill School, in Oxfordshire, due to finish in February 2029. Willmott Dixon then landed a £35m contract for Barnes School and Hospital, south west London, and finally Reds10 secured a contract for a SEND school in Suffolk, worth £20m.
Finally, Morgan Sindall have a contract worth £16.3m for main works at Burnside Secondary Pupil Referral Unit, Tyne and Wear, due to be finished in 2028.
The government is focusing on school and hospitals
In May, the government announced a £1.2bn investment into school and hospital repairs, affecting 656 schools and over 400 hospitals across the UK.
This includes retrofit works, repairs to pipes, ventilations, electrical issues, roof repairs, and removing asbestos.
Schools will be receiving a share of £470m, tackling the backlog of public infrastructure repairs.
Education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said: “The defining image of the school estate under the previous government was children sitting under steel props to stop crumbling concrete falling on their heads. It simply isn’t good enough.
“Parents expect their children to learn in a safe warm environment. It’s what children deserve, and it is what we are delivering.
“This investment is about more than just buildings – it’s about showing children that their education matters, their futures matter, and this government is determined to give them the best possible start in life.”
More recently, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, set a deadline for the removal of dangerous reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) from 237 schools.
2028 has been given as the deadline for the rebuilding of 123 schools, granting 108 schools government grants for RAAC removal, and establishing plans for 6 schools and colleges to remove RAAC from their estate.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said:“We inherited a crumbling education estate, but I won’t let that be our legacy.
“After years of neglect we are giving every child a safe and high-quality classroom where they can focus on learning — by setting clear timelines for the permanent removal of RAAC from schools and colleges.”
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