The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and Department for Education (DfE) have today published the Good Estate Management for Schools (GEMS) guidance and tools on GOV.UK.

GEMS is a new online resource to help make sure land and buildings are well managed, support educational objectives and excellent resource management. The resource brings together new and existing guidance on school estate management, and sets out:

• the fundamental policies and procedures needed to manage the school estate effectively
• guidance on strategic estate management, organisational oversight, understanding your land and buildings, energy and water management and managing projects
• updated guidance on health and safety, compliance and maintenance (replacing existing guidance in Essential Schools Maintenance)
• the skills organisations need access to, links to tools and resources that can help

The guidance is for anyone with responsibility for overseeing or managing the estate. This includes: leaders and governors of schools, charity trustees of academies and academy trusts, trustees of schools, school business professionals, those with responsibility for day to day running of the school estate, local authorities, Diocesan authorities and other religious authorities and bodies.

EBDOG have been involved in the development of this resource and would encourage you to get in contact with GEMS.esfacapital@education.gov.uk if you have any questions.