The Department for Education has confirmed contracts worth £57 million to deliver flood-protection measures at schools, with work scheduled to begin this month.
The will run for a minimum of three years and aims to deliver flood-resilience improvements for at least 150 schools.
The companies Ground Control and Flood Control (NI) have jointly been appointed to deliver the work across five English regions, with the contracts scheduled to run until August 2029.
The project is an expansion of the DfE’s Schools Water Strategy, with funding and delivery targets having been set out earlier this year.
The contracts could be extended by a further two years, with a potential value of £100 million, according to the contract documents.
Which schools will get flood defences?
The programme will prioritise schools in areas at high risk of flooding, and those that have experienced repeated flood-related disruption.
It will target members of the government’s Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) scheme, which is an alternative to commercial insurance available to schools; it covers risks including property damage, legal expenses and cyberattacks.
The DfE will select schools based on flood risk, rather than inviting schools to apply through a competitive application process.
The contract notice does not list the schools that will receive the improvements.
Each of the five regional contracts has a target to complete work at a minimum of 10 schools annually, with suppliers expected to take on additional projects to account for potential delays.
The work will include physical flood defences and nature-based measures designed to reduce flood risk.
Reported flood and storm losses under the RPA rose from £19.7 million in 2023-24 to £28.5 million in 2024-25, according to government figures published earlier this year.
The number of flood and storm claims also increased from 404 to 463 over the same period, prompting warnings from school leaders about the growing cost of extreme weather and the condition of the school estate.
Separate funding available
Schools can also apply for a share of a separate £5 million sustainable drainage grant, which offers funding for up to 50 per cent of costs. Applications close on Monday 2 November.
The DfE is encouraging individual schools to explore working with local flood authorities or other organisations on larger bids.
