The Diocesan Education Service serves over 230 primary and secondary schools located across 13 local authorities. It is the aim of the DES to secure, protect and improve all aspects of Catholic Education across these schools. Crucial to this is the support and advice services we provide in relation to all aspects of Buildings.

School Buildings, Sites and Land

The Archdiocese of Birmingham is one of 22 dioceses in England and Wales covering 204 primary schools and 37 secondary schools, with a geographical area of 3,373 square miles. The diocese covers 13 local authority areas including the counties of Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire.

​As the trustees of the Archdiocese of Birmingham own the majority of academy and voluntary aided school sites in the diocesan area, approval should be sought (via the Capital team) prior to any building work being undertaken.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/410294/Advice_on_standards_for_school_premises.pdf

DES Suite of Building Approval Documents

A letter from the Education Funding Agency about the data collection they are about to start.

Academies 
Land and Building Collection Tool

Following extensive discussions with the CES, DfE and ESFA, the Land and Buildings Collection tool Workbook and guidance have been amended to reflect the actual arrangements that are in place whereby Catholic academies occupy church land and buildings. 

Health and Safety

The employer of school staff is responsible for health and safety, though tasks may be delegated to staff. The day to day responsibility for the running of the school lies with the headteacher. In law, the headteacher can be deemed the 'responsible person' so must be aware of the relevant health and safety legislation which relates to schools buildings and sites. 
One of the key area's of Health & Safety in schools is Statutory Testing and maintenance checks. Some of these tests are statutory by law. The Diocesan Education Service is currently carrying out an audit of Local Authorities to see what monitoring of schools currently takes place. (A number of local authorities offer this as a traded service for which schools have to pay.) This does not however, remove the responsibility of ensuring each of these tests and checks are carried out. This responsibility still rests with the school. 
Further correspondence and updates for headteachers will follow in due course, including a schedule of statutory tests and maintenance for school use.

Key Documents for Health and Safety

Place Planning
The Diocesan Education Service as the agent of the Archbishop and Trustees has a responsibility to secure for the future the best quality Catholic provision of school places and to work in strategic partnership with a wide range of partners to secure sufficient good quality Catholic school places for all children that require one. It would therefore be prudent to gather data and information on the current availability and the likely future demand for Catholic school places. A strategic ‘needs analysis’ will form the foundation for securing sufficient Catholic school places for the future. However, the statutory duty to ensure sufficient school places ultimately rests with the local authority.​

Local Authority Organisation Plans:

Insurance

​Academies are able to purchase their insurance requirements through the DfE’s Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) or Solihull MBC’s insurance framework (contact Steven Simonds - steven.simonds@solihull.gov.uk) or DE Ford, the diocesan insurance broker (contact Michael Cushing - Michael.Cushing@deford.co.uk).
More information about the RPA can be accessed via the electronic link below;
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/academies-risk-protection-arrangement-rpa
 
Voluntary Aided Schools are able to purchase their insurance requirements through their own local authority or Solihull MBC’s insurance framework (details provided above).
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