Robert is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a Partner at property consultant, Barker, heading up their education team.

He has over 20 years’ experience working with schools and trusts to deliver capital projects ranging from cyclical maintenance and condition projects to major new builds and the redevelopment of entire sites.

Robert also advises on surveying and asset management planning including condition surveying, estate strategy, energy audits and decarbonisation planning. He advises on, and helps implement, Good Estate Management for Schools (GEMS) guidance, working closely with Matt Isherwood (also at Barker and The Trust Network).

He has vast experience in assisting schools in applying for and managing capital funding through government streams such as CIF, SCA, T-Levels, Post-16 and energy efficiency programmes such as PSDS and LCSF.

Working closely with Jonathan Coyles (former ISBL SME and also at Barker) Robert builds and maintains strategic partnership with clients and sector bodies. He presents practical solutions to the challenges faced by clients in estates and energy management by combining data with analysis through intuitive dashboards to achieve their sustainability goals and deliver operational effectiveness.

Robert advocates strongly for the education sector through engagement with multiple stakeholder groups including sector bodies and government departments. He is a regular speaker and trainer at education conferences and webinars. In addition to his role within Barker, Robert is a RICS Chairman of Assessment of Professional Competence panels and an external examiner for Anglia Ruskin University.

Barker is one of the UKs leading education-specialist property consultants with a team of architects, surveyors, engineers, energy consultants and education specialists working with schools and trusts across the UK.