The Condition Improvement Fund's core purpose is to support condition projects. The focus of the fund is to keep school and college buildings safe and in good working order. Most CIF funding aims to address building issues with significant consequences that revenue or Devolved Formula Capital (DFC) funding cannot meet. These include issues with poor building condition, building compliance, energy efficiency or health and safety.

At the end of October 2019, the Department for Education released new information for 2020-21 applications to the Condition Improvement Funding (CiF). This set out new criteria for applications to the CiF funding for 2020-2021, including:

• "Excessive Executive Pay (EEP) – Applicants that have been identified as having excessive executive pay, will have four points deducted for applicants based outside of London and one point deducted for applications based in London."
• "School Resource Management Adviser Visits (SRMA) – Applicants that have received an SRMA visit but have not provided an appropriate response to the recommendations will have four points deducted. Agreeing to an SRMA visit will be a condition for all successful applicants that have not had one."
• "Financial Viability and Governance concerns – Applicants whose financial and/or governance viability is of concern to the department will have between one and four points deducted or conditions applied if they are successful."

NAHT was extremely concerned about the inclusion of such criteria, and as such has written to Lord Agnew to stress this, and to request a rationale for the inclusion of these areas. We are clear that the new criteria has no relevant bearing on the condition of a school(s) estate, and should not be a consideration for any type of capital funding. 

You can access NAHT's full response to the new criteria below. Members will need to log in to view this document.

First published 21 November 2019