DfE Estate Readiness Quiz

Data and record management

When your organisation needs to evidence estate compliance, how is that information managed today? *

Mainly paper-based, ad hoc, or unclear where records sit
A mix of spreadsheets and shared drives
A dedicated compliance system
An integrated system with live data across teams

Statutory compliance completeness

How confident are you that all statutory checks (e.g. fire, asbestos, legionella, H&S) are scheduled, completed, and fully evidenced? *

Not confident or unclear
Mostly complete but some gaps
Fully complete and evidenced
Visible and tracked in real-time dashboards

Standards-aligned readiness

The DfE’s first estate readiness return is expected to be aligned to the School Estate Management Standards. How ready is your organisation to evidence where you currently stand? *

We are not familiar with the standards or have not started preparing
We are aware of the standards but have not mapped our current approach
We have started to review our approach, but there are gaps to address
We are confident our records, processes and governance align with the standards

Condition data and funding evidence

If you needed to support a capital funding decision today, how strong is your building condition data? *

Largely manual, ad hoc, or reliant on one-off surveys
Partial or inconsistently maintained data
Maintained but not always current
Continuous, structured, and audit-ready

Consistency

How consistent are your compliance processes, data, and visibility across all schools in your trust? *

Each school operates independently and we lack a clear trust-wide view
Standards exist, but we cannot reliably monitor compliance across all sites
We have trust-level visibility, but consistency varies between schools but not always current
We have consistent processes, real-time trust-wide visibility, and can drill down to site level, structured, and audit-ready

Results

Your summary

Thanks for completing the quiz.

Fill in the form to find out how your records, governance, and compliance processes measure up against the DfE’s new estate management expectations.

Your DfE estate readiness score

Just getting started

You’re at the start of your journey towards the DfE’s 2026 estate requirements, and that’s a common place for many schools and trusts to be right now. Your records and processes are likely spread across different places, which could make it difficult to evidence where you stand against the School Estate Management Standards.

Download the 12-point checklist and compare your current approach against the DfE’s School Estate Management Standards.
On the way

You’re making good progress. A few gaps remain, and it’s worth closing them before the standards-aligned return begins, particularly where records, governance or compliance processes are not consistently maintained.

Download the checklist to identify which parts of the School Estate Management Standards need the most attention.
Strong position

You’re in a strong position, ahead of many schools and trusts. Your approach already appears to align well with the DfE’s School Estate Management Standards. The next step is maintaining that consistency and being able to evidence it clearly.

Speak to an expert to benchmark your current approach against the School Estate Management Standards and identify any remaining gaps.

How ready is your school or trust for the DfE’s Education Estates Strategy?

Your personalised readiness score