The Portfolio Holder Decisions/Leader Decisions meeting scheduled for Tuesday 21 April 2026 was set to consider a single item: the School Rebuilding Programme. The meeting was convened to discuss the potential submission of an expression of interest to the Department for Education for this national programme.

School Rebuilding Programme

The primary focus of the meeting was the national School Rebuilding Programme, an initiative funded by the Department for Education to carry out major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at school and sixth-form college buildings across England. Buildings are prioritised for inclusion in the programme based on their condition.

The report pack indicated that schools are prioritised if their buildings meet one or more of the following criteria:

• They are of specific construction types that require replacement.
• They have the highest condition needs, as identified through the condition data collection (CDC) programme and verified through additional condition information.
• They have severe and urgent condition needs.
• They present risks with the potential to cause significant harm to pupils or staff.

Warwickshire County Council has 106 maintained schools, which constitute 42% of the overall school estate in the county. Officers in Property and Education were scheduled to review condition surveys of these schools to identify those potentially meeting the criteria for submission. The Headteachers and Governing Bodies of any relevant schools would be informed of any potential submissions. It was noted that as 'Responsible Bodies' are required to submit their own nominations, the Council could only nominate its own schools, with voluntary aided schools or academy trusts needing to make their own submissions. The deadline for submissions to the Department for Education was Thursday 23 April 2026.

The report pack outlined a proposed decision for the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Property, Councillor Stephen Shaw¹, to:

• Approve the submission of an expression of interest to the Department for Education for the national School Rebuilding Programme.
• Authorise the Executive Director for Resources, in consultation with the Executive Director for Children and Young People, to finalise and submit the expression of interest, including finalising scheme nominations.
• Authorise the Executive Director for Resources to enter into any necessary agreements to receive any funding awarded on terms and conditions acceptable to him.

The report highlighted that there were no direct financial implications for Warwickshire County Council in submitting the expression of interest, as any selected works would be fully funded, commissioned, and managed by the Department for Education. Similarly, environmental considerations and adherence to the 2021 Building Regulations for any selected schemes would be the responsibility of the Department for Education.

The decision was considered urgent due to the complexity of capital build projects and the need for multiple stakeholders to approve nominations within the tight submission timeframe. A delay in submitting the expression of interest was deemed likely to prejudice both the council and the public interest by limiting available funding for school capital works. Consent for the urgent decision was sought and granted by Councillor Andy Crump², Chair of the Resources and Fire & Rescue Overview and Scrutiny Committee.