32. Developing the Trust: DfE 10-Year Strategy: Good, Bad & What Schools Need to Know
In this episode of Developing the Trust, Tim Warneford is joined by Andrew Dutton from Arcadis to unpack the Department for Education’s newly published 10-year estates strategy and what it really means for schools and trusts on the ground.
Andrew shares his perspective on why the strategy is a positive step forward, particularly in bringing greater structure, visibility, and consistency to how estates are planned and funded across the sector.
A key theme throughout is the growing importance of data, how it underpins better decision-making, supports funding allocation, and ultimately helps trusts move from short-term fixes to long-term planning.
Alongside this, the episode touches on wider developments including preventative maintenance, community use of school estates, sustainability, and the potential for blended funding models to support future investment.
Watch below.
