Defects in school buildings given the worst-possible rating by government surveyors remain unaddressed for years, a Schools Week investigation has revealed. Trust and council leaders say they have had to prioritise only the most serious issues that threaten pupils鈥 safety and education, with capital cash from the government static in the face of soaring maintenance costs. The government’s condition data collection (CDC), conducted between 2017 and 2019, rated schools’ fixtures and fittings from grades A to D. Schools Week approached responsible bodies for schools that had 10 or more fittings rated 100 per cent grade D, meaning they needed to be immediately replaced. ‘We’ll never have enough to fix school buildings’ At Weavers Academy in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, parts of its roof, some windows and doors, heating system and a staircase got a 100 per cent D rating. Jon Ward, director of estates and facilities at the Creative Education Trust, said although it had put mitigations in place, 鈥渨e know that we鈥檒l never have enough money to do what we need to do to the buildings鈥. They were “largely beyond life and deteriorating in many areas”. A flood from a water tank in 2021 closed 12 classrooms for 15 months. The DfE last year rejected the school’s bid for a rebuild. The trust estimated it needed 拢77 million for condition improvements and corrections over the next 10 years. It receives just 拢3.1 million a year in capital funding. Trust vows not to leave sites unsafe Ward said the trust “won鈥檛 leave things in an unsafe condition and have to ensure we can teach and feed children鈥. “However, if it’s something major, like a roof, or the structure of the building, then that’s when it starts to become more problematic. Do we want to invest heavily in something that may be rebuilt in the future?鈥 Smaller trusts and standalone schools apply for cash for specific maintenance projects from the (CIF). Councils, dioceses and trusts with more than 3,000 pupils receive School buildings money outstripped by inflation Total SCA funding has risen by less than 1 per cent in two years to 拢1.586 billion. Building costs inflation peaked at 15.3 per cent last year. Marden Lodge Primary School in Caterham, Surrey, was warned parts of its flooring, stairs, walls and mechanical and electrical services were at the end of their life. Nick Murza, estates director at the school鈥檚 sponsor GLF Schools, said government funding was 鈥渨holly insufficient to deal with the backlog of basic condition needs for the buildings we have inherited, and there is no allowance at all for replacement or upgrading of facilities鈥. 鈥淲e have to heavily prioritise the funds we do have to address what we believe are the most pressing risks 鈥 safety issues and school closure 鈥 but there isn鈥檛 enough funding to guarantee even that.鈥 Expert tells leaders: ‘Get everything you can from CIF’ The trust completed a heating project shortly after the survey, and the school鈥檚 CDC2 report did not show any items in the D category, but this 鈥渕ay as much be down to the judgment of the surveyor on the day rather than an improvement鈥. Tim Warneford Tim Warneford, an academy funding consultant, said he advised some trusts approaching the SCA threshold to postpone expansion and 鈥済et everything we can out of CIF鈥. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a big, big risk of rushing into the SCA world鈥o only go when you鈥檝e dealt with the big capital issues because your SCA is frankly only good for maintenance.鈥 Rotherham Aspire, a pupil referral unit, had 29 fixtures that were rated grade D in 2019. This included parts of its roof, floors, stairs, external walls and mechanical and electrical services. 95% of fixtures in school buildings rated A or B Some 鈥渆ssential鈥 works have been carried out, but roof repairs won鈥檛 happen until next summer. Rob Mahon, the council鈥檚 assistant director of finance, said funding constraints forced the council to focus on 鈥渁bsolutely essential鈥 maintenance. At St George鈥檚 Primary School in Wirral, most of the grade D issues were addressed but one remains outstanding. The council said demand 鈥渨ill always outstrip supply for projects but at the moment we are able to meet our most urgent needs鈥. The government said 95 per cent of fixtures were rated A or B, and just 0.3 per cent were given the worst possible rating. However, because of the size of the survey, this still accounts for thousands of fixtures in hundreds of schools. A spokesperson said early indications from the DfE鈥檚 second CDC, which is ongoing, showed that in 鈥渁lmost every case where a grade D component was identified in CDC1 it has now been addressed鈥. But they would not provide the actual figure.