How DMA Group Delivers On-Time, High-Volume School Maintenance Programmes During the Summer Break
The summer holidays provide a short but crucial window for carrying out essential school maintenance across the UK, helping keep buildings safe, compliant, and energy-efficient for the new academic year.. With buildings empty of pupils, teams can tackle work that would be too disruptive during term time. Managing summer shutdowns means contending with heavy workloads, fixed deadlines and limited labour availability, presenting a significant challenge.
Summer Shutdown School Maintenance in the UK
There are over 24,000 state-funded schools in England – and more than 32,000 across the UK – almost all of which close over summer. This seasonal window provides a time sensitive opportunity for general maintenance, system upgrades, compliance checks and larger refurbishments.
Working in such a limited timeframe presents many challenges:
- Tight timelines – Most schools have a 6-week break. All work must be signed off in that period.
- Labour shortages – According to the FMB (2024), 42% of small building firms report job delays or cancellations due to skilled labour shortages.
- Growing backlogs – The National Audit Office reports approximately 38% of England’s school buildings are beyond their estimated design life.
- Fatigue risks – Due to shortages, engineers can face back-to-back job schedules
- Increased cost of delays – A single postponed job may require rebooking during the next break, which can take several weeks or months
With extensive experience in the education sector, DMA Group has developed a proven approach for delivering high-volume summer shutdown programmes on time and with minimal disruption. In this blog, our summer shutdown experts Katie Simmons and Rob Ware share their insights on how to maximise this limited window.
Start planning school maintenance early and lock in the scope
Planning for summer shutdown begins at least two months in advance. This includes engaging with each school to confirm proposed visit dates and flag any potential access issues such as exams, lettings or restricted areas.
The aim is to finalise the scope at least eight weeks ahead of the shutdown, allowing time to plan labour, order parts, sequence jobs and validate access requirements. Last-minute changes, especially in the two weeks prior, are avoided wherever possible, as they increase the risk of missed deadlines.
Ring-fence the summer window for schools
During the summer break, DMA focuses solely on its school customers. Non-school contract work is moved outside of this period wherever possible. This ring-fencing ensures that resources are dedicated to delivering planned shutdown works, while allowing for remedial tasks to be completed within the same holiday period.
Use smart technology to forecast and allocate school maintenance resources
A key part of DMA’s success is BiO®, our award-winning maintenance management platform. BiO® provides a live, forward-looking view of labour requirements by skill type, mapping out planned and reactive work across all contracts.
The system’s features include:
- Resource planner – forecasting labour hours month-by-month, enabling early identification of skill shortages and up-sourcing before peak demand
- Auto-planner – grouping jobs by asset type and location, assigning engineers based on skill match and planning routes for maximum productivity, with minimal travel
- Live dashboards – tracking job status in real time so that planners, managers and customer support teams can make quick adjustments if needed
Applying a lean-inspired thinking approach, removes waste and focuses on precision, enabling projects to be completed with fewer delays, fewer repeat visits and lower overall risk. Engineers arrive prepared, with the right parts, access permissions and skills to complete the work, the first time.
BiO® has saved thousands of wasted hours annually, allowing us to complete work within the timeframe and avoid re-booking into the next holiday period.
Keep communication clear and constant
From confirming dates with customers to daily check-ins between planners, engineers and support teams, strong communication underpins successful shutdown delivery. Schools are encouraged to power on key systems such as heating and chillers before engineers arrive, so full inspections can be completed without delay.
Balance workloads to reduce fatigue
DMA uses its resource planner to set realistic daily job targets, balance workloads between teams and avoid bottlenecks. Engineers are moved between sites when needed and contractors are brought in early for specialist tasks or to backfill work for other customers.
Managing workload in this way keeps performance high while protecting staff from burnout during an intense working window.
Avoid common school maintenance pitfalls
Experience shows that the biggest causes of delay are:
- last-minute changes to access arrangements
- plant systems not switched on ahead of the visit
- incorrect or late-arriving parts
- underestimating labour hours for complex tasks
- limited site communication
By addressing these risks early planning, clear scheduling and strong customer engagement, DMA consistently delivers shutdowns without overruns.
Lessons learned feed into the next cycle
At the end of every shutdown season, DMA conducts post-project reviews to identify lessons learned and use them to inform the next planning cycle. Commitment to continuous development is the cornerstone to streamlining the entire process and increasing efficiency year on year.
From our first shutdown programme to now, the biggest shift has been cultural. Everyone – from engineers to senior management – understands how critical this period is, and we all take ownership to get it right.
What school maintenance is usually done in the summer break?
Common tasks include:
- Roof, guttering and external repairs (fix leaks, replace tiles, clear gutters).
- Heating / boiler servicing and replacement — annual servicing and any major replacements (so systems are ready for autumn).
- Electrical works & fire-safety systems — rewiring, replacement of lights, testing/upgrading fire alarms, emergency lighting and extinguishers.
- Plumbing, drainage and sewer repairs (including addressing leaks and blocked drains).
- Windows, doors and glazing — replacing failing frames, double-glazing upgrades, improving security.
- Flooring, ceilings and internal redecoration — new carpets, vinyl, painting classrooms and corridors.
- Asbestos management and removal (where present) — often specialised, scheduled when fewer people on site.
- Ventilation / HVAC and cooling upgrades (improving ventilation, installing or maintaining AC units).
- Energy-efficiency upgrades — LED lighting, insulation, sensor controls, cavity/roof insulation.
- Playground / external hard-surface works — resurfacing, fencing, storage.
- Kitchen / catering and catering equipment servicing.
- ICT / network upgrades — cabling, server room works, new hardware installations.
- Deep cleaning and pest control — bathrooms, kitchens, removal of vermin evidence and mould treatment.
The summer shutdown offers a crucial but limited window to complete essential school maintenance, upgrades, and compliance checks without disrupting learning. With over 32,000 schools across the UK closing for the summer, DMA Group leverages early planning, dedicated resource allocation, and its BiO® maintenance platform to deliver complex, high-volume works within tight deadlines. From heating and electrical servicing to roof repairs and asbestos removal, every task is carefully scheduled, resourced, and communicated to minimise risk and avoid delays. Lessons learned each year feed into continuous improvement, ensuring schools are safe, efficient, and fully prepared for the new academic term.
