As multi-academy trusts have grown, so too has the scale and complexity of the estates they are responsible for, says Sam Luker, Chief Operating Officer at Trinitas Academy Trust .
From fire safety to asbestos management to water hygiene, the responsibilities facing academy trust estates teams have never been greater. Successful estates management is no longer just about maintenance. Boards and trust leaders are under increasing pressure to demonstrate robust governance, maintain compliance and provide assurance that every school within their estate is safe, well maintained and fit for learning.
The challenge is that although many trusts hold vast amounts of estates information, often it is dispersed across spreadsheets, contractor reports, paper files and individual schools. When critical information is fragmented, it becomes harder to identify risks, prioritise investment and demonstrate compliance with confidence. In my experience, this is one of the biggest barriers to effective estates management today.
As COO of a multi-academy trust, I am no stranger to the complexities of multi-site oversight. Managing seven schools requires more than just a checklist; it requires total visibility, a proactive safety culture, and systems and processes that enable site teams to work consistently while giving trust leaders confidence that compliance is being managed effectively.
Although there is support available from Department for Education (DfE) frameworks such as the Academy Trust Handbook and Good Estate Management for Schools, both of which provide greater clarity around what effective estate management looks like, the day-to-day responsibility for managing risk ultimately remains with individual trusts. No framework, however comprehensive, can replace having accurate, accessible and reliable estates information. At the heart of that challenge sits data.
Seeing the bigger, clearer picture
One of the realities of leading a multi-site organisation is that information can quickly become disjointed. Different schools may hold data in different formats, track compliance in different ways, and operate with varying levels of resource and expertise.
Individually, these approaches can work. But at trust level, they can make it difficult to build a consistent, real-time picture of the entire estate.
That matters because, as leaders, we are ultimately accountable for every building, not just the ones we can see most clearly. The question we need to answer is a simple one. Do we have a complete and current understanding of the condition and compliance of our estate?
Escaping the "black hole" of data
Fragmented systems inevitably create this "black hole" of data, meaning visibility is often incomplete or unreliable. The biggest risk is the unknown - not knowing if a statutory inspection has been missed, whether remedial works have been completed or where the next significant maintenance risk might emerge.
Like many trusts, we recognised that relying on reactive processes made it increasingly difficult to maintain oversight as our estate evolved. That prompted us to rethink how we captured, managed and used estates information, moving away from reactive firefighting towards a more structured, strategic approach.
Issues such as RAAC have highlighted just how important that visibility is. Responding effectively requires trusts to identify risks across multiple sites quickly, assess their impact and act with confidence.
This can only be achieved by creating a single, consistent view of compliance across all sites and using data to prioritise maintenance and investment. This is not about adding complexity. It is about simplifying decision-making, reducing duplication and ensuring everyone is working from the same, up-to-date information.
Equally important is the ability to identify trends. Whether recurring maintenance issues, ageing assets or increasing compliance risks, better-quality data enables leadership teams to move from responding to problems towards preventing them. That shift is fundamental to effective estates management.
Moving from reactive to proactive
One of the biggest lessons we have learned is that digital estates management is not simply about replacing paper records with electronic ones. The real value comes from centralising estates information and creating a single, reliable source of information that supports better operational and strategic decisions.
For our trust, bringing estates information together into the iAM Compliant platform has improved visibility across all seven schools. Leadership teams are able to review compliance status more consistently, monitor progress and provide governors and trustees with clearer reporting to support effective oversight. More importantly, it has created a consistent way of working across the trust, ensuring decisions are based on accurate, up-to-date information rather than fragmented records. This also strengthens audit readiness. Rather than gathering information from multiple locations whenever evidence is requested, documentation is available and easier to verify. That reduces administrative burden while providing greater confidence that statutory responsibilities are being met.
For trust leaders, that level of assurance is invaluable - not simply because it supports compliance, but because it allows leadership teams to focus on managing risk proactively rather than searching for evidence retrospectively.
For lean central estates teams, these efficiencies matter. Time previously spent chasing paperwork, producing manual reports or locating historical records can instead be invested in strategic planning, preventative maintenance and supporting schools.
When planning capital works, whether replacing roofs, upgrading heating systems or preparing bids for funding programmes, having accurate condition and compliance data also enables trusts to make more informed, evidence-based investment decisions. Instead of relying on incomplete records or individual knowledge, leaders can prioritise projects according to risk, need and long-term value.
Supporting wider strategic priorities
The asset lifecycle data generated through effective estates management also lays the foundations for sustainability planning. It is not possible to effectively improve energy efficiency without a clear understanding of an estate's condition, performance and future investment needs.
As schools increasingly balance sustainability ambitions with constrained budgets, reliable data helps trusts identify where interventions will deliver the greatest operational and environmental benefit. It also provides stronger evidence when applying for funding or demonstrating the impact of completed projects.
Good estates data also supports wider organisational priorities, from financial planning and risk management through to business continuity and long-term estate strategies. Increasingly, estates information is no longer just an operational concern - it is becoming a strategic asset that informs board-level decision making.
It also strengthens conversations with trustees and governors. Rather than relying on anecdotal updates or isolated reports, leadership teams can provide clear evidence of compliance performance, maintenance priorities and investment needs, enabling more informed decisions about where finite resources should be directed.
Confidence through clarity
Ultimately, effective estate management comes down to confidence. Confidence that risks are understood and controlled. Confidence for staff and pupils that their environments are safe and well maintained. And confidence for government, governors and the wider public that resources are being used wisely.
For trust leaders, achieving that confidence depends on clarity - and clarity depends on having the right information, in the right place, at the right time.
At Trinitas, adopting a compliance platform has been an important part of that journey by helping us bring together compliance records, asset information and reporting into a single view. However, the technology itself is only an enabler. The real value comes from combining accurate data with consistent processes, clear accountability and a culture that recognises estates information as a strategic asset rather than simply an administrative requirement.
As regulatory expectations continue to evolve and academy trusts take responsibility for increasingly complex estates, those that invest in better visibility will be better equipped to manage risk, demonstrate compliance and make informed decisions about the future of their buildings.
Ultimately, estates excellence is not defined by the amount of data a trust holds, but by its ability to turn that data into meaningful insight. By creating a clear, consistent view of the estate, trust leaders can move beyond reactive compliance towards a more strategic approach that protects people, supports education and ensures every pound invested delivers the greatest possible value.
About the author
Sam Luker is the Chief Operating Officer at Trinitas Academy Trust. Sam is a qualified school business manager, leading on all business and operational matters across the Trust. He provides strategic support for business, operational and compliance matters, including administrative services, data protection, estates, health and safety, risk management and insurance, as well as contract negotiation and management.