Education construction consultancy services

Naismiths’ in-depth knowledge of handling major construction and investment projects across a range of sectors, including education, has given us an enviable track record in successfully overseeing every step of the process.

Our experts are well-placed to offer strategic advice to educational establishments, particularly in light of the addition of VAT to private school fees under new rules that came into force on 1 January 2025. We can help private schools to review their estates and consider measures to produce extra income or introduce cost-saving initiatives, such as remodelling to increase or reduce student capacity, or energy audits to review operational expenditure and design ongoing savings measures.

Our data-driven specialists are well-matched to understanding the technological and sustainable advances the education sector is undergoing and the need to provide the best facilities for students.

We use our project monitoring, building consultancy and restructuring and advisory skills to tailor a bespoke approach to each project, whether through investments, developing new educational establishments, maintaining and improving a client’s current building stock or exploring new finance-boosting measures.

Education construction consultancy services

How Naismiths supports the education sector

The drive to improve opportunities for children and young people was a key part of the Autumn Budget 2024, with the government pledging £1.4 billion for school rebuilding. The government says that will ensure the delivery of the existing School Rebuilding Programme, with 50 rebuilds a year.

Our team understands the needs of a thriving education sector in providing high-quality spaces in innovative buildings that encourage students to flourish and learn.

We can advise on projects of all sizes, from working with large educational trusts or private education providers to colleges needing building upgrades and universities looking to expand their estates.

Our extensive experience in construction projects enables us to develop optimal learning environments for students, as multi-academy education trusts strive to enhance academic performance through the establishment of modern classrooms, libraries, science facilities, and sports amenities.

Our strategic guidance can provide trustworthy solutions when developing first-class schools, colleges, training centres and universities. We ensure the work meets all legislative, design and building regulations standards, including projects involving heritage properties and listed buildings. 

Through our work on student accommodation schemes and other commercial ventures, we also understand the importance of timescales around educational calendars. We can accelerate the completion of work to fit in with school holidays and plan building work that will cause the least disturbance to students, teachers and support staff.

Project monitoring for the education sector 

Our talented team recognises the importance of setting financial controls on multi-million-pound education developments, ensuring work is completed to agreed timescales and within budget. 

We can advise on and manage the risks of a project at every stage of a building’s lifecycle, with experience of construction schemes including new builds and modular constructions as well as full-scale refurbishments. 

We have recently drawn up a fully-costed strategy for an academy school trust that will involve school condition surveys and maintenance planning advice to help it budget for the next decade. 

We constantly monitor progress on an array of significant financial investments through regular site visits and reporting – spotting and resolving any issues that come up. Construction work in the education sector must also adhere to strict safety standards – our specialists have years of experience in adhering to these regulations.

Our project monitoring service includes due diligence reporti, funding strategy, budget control and financial analysis, technical solution advice, project coordination and monitoring , account auditing  and detailed reporting .

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Sustainability needs in the education sector

With sustainable practices being at the forefront of the UK’s drive towards a carbon-neutral future, the education sector has a vital role to play. As well as reducing their carbon footprint, schools and educational institutions that embrace sustainability can make better use of their resources.

Our experts understand the advantages that educational institutions gain from incorporating energy-efficient designs and sustainable materials, as well as implementing renewable energy solutions like solar panels, bioenergy fuel sources, smart electric vehicle charging stations, and air source heat pumps.

They are also well-versed in leveraging capital allowance programmes to help fund building improvements. Achieving this form of tax relief can help schools and colleges develop energy efficiency measures. Large school sites are ideal locations for using sustainable technologies.

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Building consultancy for the education sector 

Clients can be assured that nothing will be overlooked through our chartered building surveyors and project managers’ keen eye for detail and knowledge of project management, building surveying and asset management. They will:

Give high-level strategic advice to ensure efficiencies of scale when working on several buildings in an education trust’s estate, with a holistic view of capital and operational expenditure

Assemble a network of skilled consultants to report on risks in a building’s condition

Consider an education property’s future maintenance costs, including temporary classrooms

Understand the fit-out process for schools, colleges and universities and the importance of durable materials, acoustics and climate control

Advise on the most efficient and cost-effective sustainability measures, such as biomass centres, solar power and ground source heat pumps

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Call on our experienced in-house mechanical and electrical engineering consultant team

Create tender packs for repair work and appoint contractors, to be project-managed by Naismiths

Draw up budgets for an education premises’ next 10 years’ expenditure – and assess project feasibility

Prepare a detailed package of information for education trusts, authorities and private schools wanting to sell available stock

Set up a PPM for planned, preventative maintenance over a five or 10-year period

Design detailed maintenance plans so building managers and governing bodies can schedule the capital expenditure required for future work

Assisting facilities managers and trusts with their future estate planning

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Building surveying in the education sector

Our bespoke services include:  

Defect diagnosis – we quickly identify and plan the necessary defect corrections

Reinstatement cost assessments – evaluating the costs involved to ensure adequate cover is in place for insurance or management purposes of buildings and portfolios

Measured surveys – we prioritise accuracy in measured surveys, minimising errors, and ensuring compliance with Land Registry standards for construction and lease requirements. We use digital tools and data management via drones, laser scanning and point cloud

Planned preventative maintenance – we identify costs and timescales involved in the regular maintenance of an asset and plan these accordingly