2 Scope of Condition Core Fact Reporting
Gross Internal Floor Area in Conditions A to D
1. The requirement to report the gross internal floor area (G.I.A.) no longer applies. Local authorities expressed a preference for an elemental approach, as this would provide better integration with their extant processes. On this basis, only the overall condition rating for each school (Condition A to D) is now required.
School Types
2. Condition Core Fact data should be provided for all primary, secondary and special schools, all of which should be treated identically in terms of assessment method and criteria.
3. Early education provision should be included in the condition rating only where it is an integral part of a primary, secondary or special school. In this case, it should simply be treated as part of the school and should not be reported separately.
4. The condition of other free-standing early education buildings should not be included in information provided to the Scottish Executive. Where they are located in the grounds of a primary, secondary or special school, they should be ignored for the purposes of providing the overall condition rating for that school, and where they are located in their own grounds then no condition rating should be provided.
Leased, Owned, Rented or PPP
5. Condition Core Facts reported to the Scottish Executive should include school buildings and facilities that are temporary or permanent, owned, leased or rented by the local authority. PPP schools should also be reported.
Shared Facilities
6. When assessing the Condition Core Fact, all parts of the school used for education should be considered, whether or not they are used for other purposes as well.
7. On a shared campus, where facilities are used by more than one school, the effect of those facilities on overall condition ratings should be shared between the schools concerned on an equitable basis to be decided upon and recorded by the local authority.
8. Where school facilities are used for other purposes by local authorities, these other uses should not be taken into account in the assessment of the Condition Core Fact for the school. For example, school sports facilities that are available for local community use outwith school hours should be wholly included. However, if the local authority were to use a portion of the school, no longer required for school purposes, to provide accommodation for another service on a permanent basis, then this space would be excluded.
9. Where facilities primarily for the use of others are used by the schools, e.g. where the school has access to leisure centre facilities, then these facilities should be excluded from the Condition Core Fact.
Staff Houses and Residential Accommodation for Pupils
10. Staff houses and accommodation for pupils should be excluded from the condition rating reported to the Scottish Executive.
Scope of Overall Condition Rating
11. The condition rating to be reported to the Scottish Executive should include the elements referred to at Section 3, under Listing of School Elements. The list comprises two parts: physical elements and 'transverse' elements. The physical elements are those parts of the school fabric that should be taken into account when assessing condition. They encompass all aspects of the school fabric rather than simply the school buildings, and include playgrounds, external structures and services, security facilities and playing fields. Everything within the curtilage of the school should be included in the overall rating of each school's condition, unless specifically excluded by this document. The transverse elements comprise those aspects that need to be taken into account when assessing the condition of each applicable physical element. They are functional rather than physical in nature, and include information extracted from the various safety and other reports provided by professional technical staff, who will also act on reports from others as appropriate.
12. Where building work is currently, or has been, in progress on playing fields, and it is intended that these be reinstated, they may be excluded from the overall rating: it is unreasonable that planned improvement work of this nature should reduce a school's condition rating.
Condition Versus Suitability
13. One potential source of confusion when assessing the condition rating for a school is the distinction between Condition and Suitability. In reporting the Condition and Suitability Core Facts, the following distinction in scope should be drawn between the two:
- Compliance with the design intent should be addressed under Condition. Hence, Condition deals with the state of repair of features or facilities that exist as part of the school fabric (and as part of its current design).
- Where the current design or design intent has been rendered inadequate or inappropriate by new requirements that apply retrospectively, then this should be dealt with under Condition. These requirements could arise from legislation or regulations, or from regulatory or central government guidance. This aspect of Condition should include the general health and safety requirement to reduce the risk to staff and the general public - including pupils - to a level which is as low as reasonably practicable.
- Disability discrimination requirements should be dealt with under Suitability.
- Where it is considered that the design or design intent was already inadequate or inappropriate when viewed against legislation, regulations or regulatory or central government guidance extant and applicable at the time of installation, then this should be dealt with under Condition.
- Matters of security of the school fabric, contents and occupants should be addressed under Condition.
14. Aside from the above considerations, the adequacy of design or design intent, including the absence of any particular feature or facility, should be addressed under Suitability. It should be noted that the way in which the buildings and facilities are used or operated (or indeed mis-used or mis-operated) is not part of Condition. If a design regarded as unsuitable necessitates the use of the school facilities in a way that is outwith the design intent, then this is a matter for consideration under Suitability.