The conclusions have been drawn by a report into the state of school buildings published by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
It has called for an “urgent review” of the PSBP, which is run by the Education Funding Agency (EFA) – which operates at arm’s length from the Department for Education (DfE).
The report also warns that a “prevalence of damp, leaky classrooms and asbestos-ridden buildings” means that many pupils and teachers are facing threats to their health and their education.
Better Spaces for Learning contains the largest ever analysis of primary and secondary school buildings in the UK, as well as interviews with both teachers and building experts.
The report says that schools are facing a “perfect storm” with the worst shortage of school places in decades (close to one million pupils will enter the English school system in the next 10 years) combined with an “outdated and crumbling” school estate.
It cites evidence showing that almost half of local councils rate the quality of their schools estate as “unsatisfactory” or “in need of improvement” – a quarter went as far as to say their schools were “extremely poor” or “very poor”.
However, funding for school building work and improvement has fallen dramatically. In 2010, £7.6 billion was being spent a year. Expenditure included the £55 billion Building Schools for the Future programme and the £7 billion Primary Capital Programme for primary schools, both of which were axed by the coalition government.
The replacement initiative, the £2.4 billion Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP), was unveiled in 2011 but, according to the report, attracted almost three times as many applications as it could afford to fund.
The PSBP offers a choice of three prefabricated designs for new school buildings, costing a third less than schools built pre-2010. Construction of the first generation of PSBP schools is now nearing completion.
However, RIBA is calling for a review of the government’s approach as it is concerned that the prefabricated buildings are proving “hugely restrictive” and offers little opportunity for teachers and pupils to input into the designs.
The report states: “There is a lack of area flexibility in the application of the EFA’s suite of standardised drawings and specifications for new schools.”
RIBA reports potential problems with the first batch of schools built under PSBP stemming from the reduced floor area in the EFA designs. It states: “Broadly speaking, the minimum standards for PSBP schools represent a return to the standards of 15 years ago. While this is of itself not necessarily a problem, the move to reduce floor areas has the potential to create a range of additional challenges that need careful consideration in the debate about how to best assess quality and value for money.
“A key area which has been repeatedly highlighted by the value of school design research and teacher poll we have commissioned has been the negative impacts of over-crowding in schools.
“One area of particular concern is the way in which narrower corridors specified in the EFA baseline standards can create a range of easily avoidable problems. Crowded corridors impede the flow of pupils around a school, creating pinch points that increase stress levels and can exacerbate bullying problems.”
RIBA’s call for a review comes after the EFA has been allocated £23 billion to spend during this Parliament for opening new academies and free schools, creating additional school places, rebuilding schools and addressing maintenance needs.
RIBA’s report says that good and innovative school design can reduce running and maintenance costs, “in some cases by more than several times a teacher’s average salary a year”. It says that better design could prevent the English school estate from spending upwards of £150 million annually on unnecessary operation and maintenance costs.
The report adds: “The new approach adopted by the government has succeeded in delivering schools to incredibly tight budgets, but it has also proved to be hugely restrictive in terms of the design and timeframes allowed for the construction of new schools. This one-size-fits-all approach means that opportunities to innovate or respond to local context to optimise investment are being curtailed.”
The report also warns that the school places crisis and lack of investment is leaving students and teachers working in overcrowded and run-down classrooms.
It adds: “From damp, leaky buildings to serious issues like exposure to asbestos, too many pupils are trying to learn in classrooms that are damaging their health – and their education.”
RIBA president Jane Duncan said: “Our report highlights the vital importance of school design and how it affects the general health and wellbeing of their users, our children and their teachers. As limited funding is available to deal with the growing problem, every penny spent on schools must deliver maximum value for money.
“How can we expect our children to compete with the world’s best when too many of our school buildings are substandard? Educational improvements resulting from the current programme of school building are not reaching the basic standards that British taxpayers and our economy expects.”
She continued: “We need to do better for all of our children and their hardworking teachers. We urge the government to review its programme of building new schools.”
You can download RIBA’s report, Better Spaces for Learning, at http://bit.ly/1sqJAUa