Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that schools in close proximity to (a) high-traffic areas and (b) hospitals are able to access funding for (i) perimeter fencing and (ii) other essential security infrastructure.

The department supports local authorities, academy trusts and voluntary-aided school bodies, which are responsible for keeping their estates safe and well-maintained, by providing capital funding, delivering major rebuilding programmes, and offering guidance and support.

The government increased capital funding to improve the condition of school buildings to £2.1 billion for the 2025/26 financial year and has committed to sustain that investment in real-terms, rising to around £2.3 billion by 2029/30. This is over £400 million more than 2024/25.

For 2025/26, Essex County Council was allocated £9,336,522 to invest across its maintained schools, including those in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency. Large academy trusts and large voluntary-aided school bodies with schools in the area will also have been allocated capital funding, but allocations typically cut across constituency and local authority boundaries. These responsible bodies decide how to invest funding based on local knowledge, and this may include installing fencing or other security measures, where appropriate to the circumstances.

Smaller and single academy trusts, smaller voluntary-aided bodies and sixth-form colleges will instead have been invited to bid into the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF). Allocations and CIF outcomes for 2025/26 are published on GOV.UK.

Departmental guidance is clear that schools and colleges should have a policy and plan in place to manage and respond to security related incidents and understand how to undertake a health and safety survey and risk assessment.