DQI for Schools

The DQI for Schools was launched in partnership with the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in December 2005.
The DQI for Schools is very similar to the generic DQI tool but with greater emphasis on areas which are specific to the needs of schools such as the uses of spaces, the buildings relationship to the community and the buildings grounds. The DQI for Schools is applied in the same way as the DQI tool and DQI facilitators, who have experience in the schools sector can facilitate use of the tool.

The tool has now been used on nearly 150 new and refurbished school buildings. These have mainly been secondary schools that are being upgraded and refurbished through the Government’s Building Schools for the Future initiative. However with the recently announced primary programme we are seeing the tool being used throughout the sector.

CIC is excited by such a comprehensive use of the DQI approach in school design. With the varied user community of most schools the DQI for Schools can really help people work together to achieve the best building they can.

Following the successful adaptation of the DQI by the schools sector CIC is looking to work with other building types over the coming year to increase the family of DQI tools.