“Light houses, my boy! Beacons of the future! Capsules with hundreds of bright little seeds in each, out of which will spring the wiser, better England of the future.”

Sherlock Holmes’s praise for Victorian schools has a special relevance today as the Government is embarking on the largest school building and improvement programme in living memory. Your local schools might have been involved in this process or soon will be.

English Heritage is calling all those who make decisions about the future of an historic school not to walk away from it until they have carefully consider its potential to be upgraded and re-used. A new English Heritage publication, downloadable from Historic Schools page features case studies that illustrate how this can be done.

School buildings are an important part of England’s rich built heritage but are often overlooked. Good examples are comparable with town halls, theatres and railway stations in their contribution to local distinctiveness. Over 5,000 school buildings in England are listed, and many are major local landmarks, embodying the memories and childhood experiences of previous generations.

A recent survey carried out by English Heritage shows that

• 83% of respondents want local councils should do more to find new uses for old, empty schools
• almost half (47%) feel that schools with historic character provide a more inspiring educational environment than modern ones
• three in four also say that historic schools contribute to the identity of a local area
• two thirds think that refurbishing and extending old schools is more environmentally friendly than demolishing them and rebuilding new ones.

Research by English Heritage shows that even simple repairs and improvements significantly reduce draughts and heat loss, and that a combination of these methods will upgrade most original sash windows to meet building regulations. More details from the Climate Change and Your Home website.

• English Heritage has sent its new guidance on school refurbishment to all local councils, which play a key role in the future of schools in their area. If you are concerned about the state of a school, you should contact them or use one of these websites: Write to Them or Fix My Street
• If you would like English Heritage to consider listing a school, please visit the Listing pages on our website.
• You can use Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) to raise concerns you have about the future of the school your children are at.

• go to the local records office or local library to find our more about the history and architecture of their school
• get involved in the future of their school. The Joinedupdesign programmes organised by the Sorrell Foundation enables students to work with architects and designers on development projects.

• use the school environment as a learning tool in itself. Devise lessons and activities that will encourage a child’s visual awareness, sense of community and place and appreciation of history, and provoke critical thinking around construction and sustainability. Make use of two new teaching packages at the Historic Schools page.

Please help us spread the word by forwarding this to anyone whom you think may be interested in this topic.

Thank you.