At Help for Schools, we specialise in providing comprehensive services tailored to schools undertaking capital building or refurbishment projects financed through various channels such as Capital Improvement Funding (CIF), School Condition Allocation (SCA), and Dissolved Formula Capital (DFC).

Our wide range of services includes:

Condition Surveys: Thorough assessments are conducted to evaluate the current state of school buildings, guiding subsequent decisions and planning.

Procurement Management: Assisting schools in the procurement process, ensuring the selection of reliable contractors and suppliers who can deliver high-quality outcomes within the allocated budget and timeframe.

Project Management: From inception to completion, our experienced team oversees all aspects of the project, ensuring seamless coordination between stakeholders, adherence to timelines, and compliance with regulatory standards.

Architectural Design and Planning Permission: Providing architectural design services and managing the submission process for planning permission when necessary, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and guidelines.

RIBA Stages 1 to 7: Guiding projects through all stages of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) plan of work, ensuring thorough planning, design development, and execution.

Project Feasibility, Design, and Specification:

Our services are structured to ensure that:

  • Projects align with desired outcomes, whether they be aesthetic, functional, or regulatory.
  • Spatial requirements are meticulously met, optimising the use of available space and facilities.
  • Site and building issues, including potential constraints and safety considerations such as asbestos management, are identified and addressed proactively.
  • Stringent adherence to all statutory and legislative processes, guaranteeing compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
  • Projects are executed within the confines of the allocated budget, maximising cost-effectiveness and value for our clients.

Schools can trust that their capital projects will be managed with precision, expertise, and a commitment to delivering exceptional results that enhance the learning environment for students and staff.

Please do enquire about our services.

Testimonials

Hear from schools and trusts like yours that are benefiting from working with Help for Schools.

Help for Schools / Spencer Van der Werf has provided consistent high quality services to our Trust supporting our Capital Projects team deliver changes to our building infrastructure, improving the resources available and facilitating improved quality of teaching. He is able to interpret outline concepts, bring designs to the table, see through the building project management and quality check the final delivery. A great asset to secure your change plans.

Paul Atkinson – Director of Finance, Haberdashers’ Academies Trust South

Help for Schools is a reliable partner for complex projects, delivering solutions that are clear and effective. They excel in continuous improvement and proactive problem prevention in every interaction. I had the pleasure of working with Spencer on a project to convert shower rooms into a classroom, and I was impressed by his detailed project proposal and timely execution. He also identified many benefits, both tangible and intangible, from the project. Help for Schools will always be my first choice for project management.

Rachel Danso – Business Manager, Borough Academy

Help For Schools provided critical support to Day One Trust as we reconfigured our estates and facilities provision. They helped us understand our needs and manage the transition from an ineffective outsourced service to a professional in-house team. Their support included designing our team structure and guiding our recruitment, as well as establishing the systems and processes that team needed to work with. I’ve worked with Spencer and his team for many years on multiple projects and I’ve always found him to be professional, diligent, pragmatic and committed to students by securing high quality and value for money estates and facilities provision.

Fred Sharrock – CEO at Day One Trust

Help For Schools has played an integral role in overseeing and managing a £28 million project – the build of a new secondary school in central London. From the client perspective Spencer has managed effectively the multiple partners engaged in this project, from the comms to the project plan. His strengths lie in his attention to detail, his ability to find solutions to complex problems and his delivery of results.

Declan Jones – Principal at Borough Academy

I have known Simon for several years and he has always been a font of wisdom, advice and an intelligent steer to educational professionals; especially those looking to leadership. What has struck me most about his approach has been his willingness to engage with kindness without the need for reciprocity. Someone with true integrity.

Barry Cooper – Founding Principal at The Global College

Other Services

Good Estate Management for Schools (GEMS) Support

Empowering Schools with Expert Estate Management support

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PFI Expiry

Contract expiry provides the opportunity for contracting authorities to reconsider what the future of its assets might look like

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Capital Projects Management

From refurbishment to building projects through SCA, DFC and CIF

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