Policy statements

01/26/12
Review of School Premises Regulations

Today sees the end of the consultation period of the Department for Education’s Review of Standards for School Premises arising from the James’ Review of capital expenditure.

Fields in Trust welcomes the review but raises concerns that an erosion of the standards could potentially dilute the protection afforded to school playing fields which has been helpful since 1998 in reversing the trend of these vital spaces being sold as educational assets to help fund the capital programme of Local Education Authorities.

‘There are dangers within these draft proposals compared with the current requirements,’ said Alison Moore-Gwyn, Chief Executive of Fields in Trust. ‘No account is taken of the needs of surrounding schools in the event of disposal and it is important that any applications for disposal continue to come under the scrutiny of the National School Playing Fields Advisory Panel, which makes recommendations on them to the Minister.’

The new regulations do not stipulate that any proceeds from the disposal of playing fields must be reinvested in sport and recreation facilities as a priority. The Government is offering up a very regrettable loophole whereby capital receipts may not need to be invested within education.

Mrs Moore-Gwyn continued: ‘The new regulations offer an opportunity to apply standards across all state funded schools including academies and free schools and therefore, if there could be some revision to the principles, we can help to ensure better provision in terms of quality, quantity and accessibility for school children and the community at large.’

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