Why estate management should be an essential part of your sustainability planning in 2025
In line with the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, every school and education institution in England must appoint a sustainability lead and develop a documented Climate Action Plan by September 2025. These plans outline the measures each institution will take to mitigate its environmental impact, improve climate resilience, and contribute to the UK's wider Net Zero target.
This is no small ask, especially when schools are already significant energy consumers, accounting for 36% of the public sector’s building emissions. The education estate is vast, and the latest figures suggest a staggering £11.4 billion maintenance backlog. Ageing buildings, leaky roofs, and inefficient heating systems are just the tip of the iceberg. However, these challenges also represent an enormous opportunity. With the school rebuilding programme receiving renewed investment through the Autumn Budget, there’s now a real chance to make long-term changes that benefit both the environment and school communities.
Schools sit at the heart of their communities, welcoming thousands through their gates each day, and this visibility makes them uniquely positioned to lead the charge towards sustainability. With the right planning and support, schools can demonstrate climate leadership not only in what they teach but in how they operate too.
The biggest estate-related sustainability challenges schools face today
Upgrading school estates in line with sustainability best practice is essential, but also daunting. Many buildings are outdated, energy-inefficient and costly to run. But a poorly maintained estate doesn’t just drive up energy bills - it can actively hinder learning. Studies show that uncomfortable, unsafe, or unhealthy environments can increase pupil and staff absence, often impacting the most vulnerable learners the hardest.
Deferred maintenance and reactive repairs can also quickly spiral into more expensive and disruptive problems. In many cases, essential upgrades are postponed due to limited budgets, lack of dedicated expertise, or absence of long-term planning.
The physical estate can either be a barrier to sustainability or the foundation of it. It’s for this reason that aligning estate management with sustainability goals is no longer optional but now a necessity.
The long-term benefits offered by estate management planning
Estate management planning is typically a three to five-year strategy that outlines how a school will manage and invest in its buildings, grounds, and facilities. It helps schools map their way to Net Zero while guaranteeing compliance, safeguarding wellbeing, and making the best use of financial resources.
A good estate plan delivers a range of benefits, beginning with cost savings. Over a building’s lifetime, operational costs can be five to ten times greater than its original construction costs. However, strategic maintenance planning, such as preventative rather than reactive repairs, can significantly reduce these long-term expenses. A well-managed estate helps you prioritise capital spending, procure efficiently, and avoid costly surprises.
An effective estate plan both helps schools remain safe and compliant with regulations, and creates an environment that fosters well-being and academic achievement. Research shows that modern, well-ventilated, and energy efficient spaces boost concentration and students’ attendance. This has the domino effect of improving staff morale, and happy staff are more likely to stay, so it’s also a retention strategy.
Additionally, strategic estate management helps to embed sustainable practices into day-to-day operations. From energy monitoring to waste reduction and biodiversity projects, it provides the structure schools need to make measurable progress. In fact, effective energy and water management alone can reduce bills by 10-30%, and this frees up precious budget for teaching and learning.
Lastly, having a central plan makes it easier to identify gaps and set priorities. It becomes the bedrock for every facilities decision you make - whether that be procuring solar panels or choosing cleaning contractors. Your investments will be more tightly aligned with long-term goals, and it also helps justify funding decisions to stakeholders.
Practical steps for schools to assess and upgrade their buildings
So, where should schools start?
Step 1: Define your ambitions
Before you can plan your journey, you need to know your destination. Ask yourselves what kind of estate you want in five, ten, or even twenty years. What role should it play in your broader educational vision?
Step 2: Assess the current state of your estate
Carry out a physical walkabout of your buildings, supported by desk-based research. Look beyond condition alone, reviewing energy usage, compliance risks, maintenance demands, space utilisation, and carbon footprint.
Key areas to assess may include:
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Building condition and age
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Energy and water efficiency
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Suitability and capacity for future needs
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Statutory compliance and health & safety
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Opportunities for biodiversity or greening
Step 3: Gather the right information and documentation
To plan effectively, you’ll need clear and up-to-date estate data. This includes:
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Your estate vision (a 5-10 year goal)
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An estate strategy (3-5 year roadmap with costs and outcomes)
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An asset management plan (covering short-term actions)
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A performance monitoring framework
Step 4: Align budget and procurement
Build a 3-5 year budget, aligned with your estate strategy and signed off by your governing board. Include maintenance plans, procurement processes, and funding sources, and check that all purchasing decisions are transparent and sustainability-led.
Step 5: Engage the whole community
Climate action isn’t just a technical exercise, it’s about people, so, include staff, students, and parents in your plans. Aim to encourage behaviour change and create a sense of shared ownership over the school’s environmental goals.
Step 6: Monitor, report and improve
Put systems in place to monitor energy and water usage, track project outcomes, and review your progress annually. Your CAP should be a living document rather than just a tick-box exercise.
Schools already making progress
Schools across the country are demonstrating how estate management can be set in motion to achieve real, measurable impact. Schools throughout Solihull, for example, are rolling out climate action plans that help them save carbon, money, and contribute towards a more sustainable borough. Their measures span behaviour change, energy retrofits and student-led sustainability projects.
Meanwhile, the Girls’ Day School Trust has implemented 100% renewable electricity across all 25 of its schools. Solar energy installations are helping to decarbonise the estates, and historic buildings are being restored to improve energy efficiency, while still preserving their architectural heritage.
Another outstanding example can be found in XP Secondary School in Gateshead, where children are leading efforts to tackle climate change in their community, with the help of SOS-UK charity. Their student-led CAP focuses on green careers, climate education, and biodiversity and is helping their borough to achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.
Finally, in Warwickshire, a growing number of schools are hosting workshops on active travel, recycling and other problem areas to help encourage behaviour change. They’ve also begun a podcast series featuring conversations designed to inspire Warwickshire residents to play their part in taking care of our planet and tackling climate change.
In summary
The DFE’s 2025 climate deadline is fast approaching, but I hope this article has helped to demonstrate that it is far more than just a box to tick. Rather, it’s an opportunity for schools to meet regulatory expectations, reduce their costs, and provide healthier, more inspiring places to learn. Prioritising estate management within your sustainability planning will help make 2025 the year we build greener schools, stronger communities, and a more sustainable future.
About the author
Jamie Livingston is the School Estates & Sustainability Mentor at iAM Compliant, a leading compliance and estates management platform built specifically for schools. With over 20 years of experience in education compliance and estate strategy, Jamie supports schools in developing safe, sustainable, and future-ready learning environments.