Why every school needs an effective facilities management strategy

1. Safety

We mention it frequently here at Aegis, but that’s because it should always be the primary responsibility and focus of every school. School safety is incredibly important, and an effective facilities management strategy will help you to stay on top of it – whether it’s by keeping the grounds and buildings clean, developing emergency procedures, improving security, or training to create a safer learning environment.

2. Costs

Keeping costs down without compromising the school’s conditions or performance is a constant challenge for school leaders. FM plays a crucial role in lowering costs by reducing energy consumption, optimising supply chain costs, and preventing property maintenance issues, ultimately helping the school to operate more efficiently within its budget.

3. Academic Performance

The condition of the learning environment significantly impacts students’ ability to learn and concentrate. Factors such as air temperature, lighting, and safety (including being safe from bullying) all affect academic performance. An effective facilities management strategy will help you to optimise all these factors and in turn, create a better learning environment for your students.

4. Teacher Turnover

High teacher turnover is a major issue for schools because it disrupts the academic year and leads to significantly increased costs. Luckily, there’s an effective way to minimise the issue, and that’s by improving your school facilities. Several studies in the US have shown that well-maintained buildings and classrooms that are free from disruption and provide safety can reduce teacher turnover by around 25%.

5. School Appearance & First Impressions

Proper maintenance of school buildings and grounds enhances the overall appearance, leaving a positive first impression on visitors and parents. Implementing an FM strategy ensures that the school’s assets are kept in optimal condition, making it more welcoming and professional.

6. Sustainability

It’s estimated that almost a third of the UK’s total emissions come from buildings, mostly through things like energy usage and materials used for repairs over time. Effective facilities management strategies allow you to save energy across, repair buildings with more sustainable materials, and reduce the frequency at which your buildings will need repairs. All of this helps your school to reduce its carbon footprint and become more environmentally friendly!

7. Compliance

Schools in the UK must meet various standards to demonstrate they can provide a safe education and working environment for their students and staff. To comply with these guidelines and requirements, you must have a long-term strategy in place that is consistently seeking to improve facilities, modernise equipment, and become even safer.