What School Condition Allocations (SCA) can be spent on

The purpose of School Condition Allocation (SCA) is to maintain and improve the condition of school buildings, so that children can learn in a safe and effective environment. 

Investment should be prioritised on keeping academy buildings safe and in good working order by tackling poor building condition, building compliance, energy efficiency, and health and safety issues.

Schools and those responsible for school buildings receive conditional funding through different routes depending on their size and type. 

Local authorities (LAs), larger Multi Academy Trusts (MATs) and larger voluntary aided (VA) school bodies receive direct SCA to invest in priorities across the schools for which they are responsible. 

From 2020 to 2021 financial year, VA schools will sit under the same capital maintenance funding mechanisms as other schools. 

For the financial year 2021 to 22, the SCA eligibility criteria was that multi-academy trusts and voluntary aided (VA) bodies must meet both eligibility criteria. 

These are:

• the trust or VA body must have 5 or more open schools at the start of September 2020
• those open schools (or their predecessor schools) must have had at least 3,000 pupils counted in the spring 2020 census

Using funding

The MATs will decide how to prioritise its funding across its estate. SCA spending for MATs is to keep school buildings safe and in good working order. The investments should focus on:

• poor building condition
• building compliance
• energy efficiency
• health and safety issues

Smaller or stand-alone academy trusts, sixth form colleges and smaller or stand-alone VA school bodies are able to bid to the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF).

You can also read the SCA terms and conditions which you will have received as part of the email confirming your SCA funding. 

Need support

If you have a specific query about SCA, please include any relevant information in your query through our enquiry form.