Creating Value In Schools
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Effective estates management is vital for a safe and sustainable school environment that meets learners’ needs. The estate management competency framework is a comprehensive document that enables leaders and those working in estate management to benchmark their skills and identify areas for development. It’s built around seven functions, which are reflected in the School estate management standards. Based on the standards, you can establish whether your setting is at the baseline, transitioning, fully effective or advanced – and what you can do to progress.
Managing your school estate effectively will help you to save money and ensure you have a healthy, safe and sustainable school environment.
Published in 2023, the estate management competency framework is an 83 page document (!) which gives a detailed breakdown of the responsibilities, skills and knowledge of those working in estate management.
It’s designed to:
It breaks down estate management into seven core functions:
And four competency levels:
Each of the seven functions is further broken down into areas of responsibility, along with the skills and knowledge required to fulfil them. For example, strategic estate management is comprised of:
This means the document can easily be used to audit and benchmark skills, responsibilities, and areas for development.
For suggestions re training and qualifications to undertake, see the guidance: Training and qualifications relevant to estate management.
The School Estate Management Standards are designed to support schools to manage their estates effectively. They help them to prioritise projects within their estate, build on good practice, and observe legal requirements.
Published in April 2025, this (shorter!) document outlines the standards schools and settings can work towards in terms of estates management.
It grades at four levels:
There are statements to describe what’s entailed in meeting each level. For example, for level 3 sustainability:
For level 4 strategic management, you need to be meeting all the standards for the lower levels plus:
There are links throughout to the Good estate management for schools (GEMS) manual and other relevant documentation.
