The new warning on RAAC concrete came one working day before most schools are due to return after the summer break
The DfE previously advised schools to prepare contingency plans in response to the risk of RAAC concrete, but have now escalated, asking schools to make alternative arrangements on the Thursday before pupils return after the summer holidays.
The news follows similar concerns about the presence of RAAC concrete in UK seven hospitals, which are being rebuilt at a cost of £20bn.
RAAC concrete from the 1980s is reaching the end of its lifespan
Sean Keyes, managing director of Sutcliffe, commented: “A number of studies have been conducted across the country on Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete – or RAAC – and now the government has decided to introduce a new directive in the last 24 hours to immediately close schools and other buildings which are based in areas which include RAAC, meaning they cannot open for the new term.
“This is unacceptable, as people have been aware of this issue for a number of years. RAAC is a lightweight, aerated, reinforced form of concrete – and while it is not like asbestos which poses a range of health risks – it may not be structurally strong enough, and in the slim chance that a RAAC roof collapses, then not only will it be unacceptable, but the results could be severe.”
Originally favoured in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, for its thermal properties, RAAC has since been found to deteriorate over time.
The issue was first brought to light after the sudden collapse of a primary school roof in Essex in 2018.
An estimated 104 schools have been advised to partially or fully close
The number doubles the previous estimate of 50 affected schools. A National Audit Office report said in June that 572 schools across England could be at risk of their RAAC expiring.
Education secretary, Gillian Keegan, said: “Nothing is more important than making sure children and staff are safe in schools and colleges, which is why we are acting on new evidence about RAAC now, ahead of the start of term.
“We must take a cautious approach because that is the right thing to do for both pupils and staff.
“The plan we have set out will minimise the impact on pupil learning and provide schools with the right funding and support they need to put mitigations in place to deal with RAAC.”
Minister of state for schools Nick Gibb has said that the government will cover incurred costs over schools relocating
Speaking on Sky News, when asked who will pay if schools need to either fully or partially relocate, Nick Gibb said: “We will pay for that. We’ve made it very clear we will cover all capital costs.
“So if in the worst-case scenario, we need portacabins in the school estate for an alternative accommodation, we will cover all those costs. So there has been some speculation that we won’t cover those costs. We absolutely will.”
Gibb also admitted that not all affected schools had been informed, with a “few more” still to be contacted.
Tim Seal, head of construction at law firm Ridgemont, said:
“The impact of RAAC will vary case-by-case. Not all schools with RAAC need to close: the disruption experienced will depend on a case-by-case basis including what mitigations a school can put in place – and how quickly it can do so.
“RAAC was used from the 1960s to the 1990s in various types of public buildings – not just in schools, in hospitals for example. Not all remain in the public sector today. It would be sensible for building owners and managers at risk of having RAAC in their buildings to contact a qualified structural engineer or building surveyor for advice.”
The RAAC risk announcement’s timing was heavily criticised
Steve Reed, the shadow justice secretary, said on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4: “After 13 years of Conservative failure, the fabric of our public sector is literally crumbling.”
He continued, “Imagine the fury of parents up and down the country today finding out that just days before the start of school term their school is going to be closed…They could have taken action at the beginning of the school holidays to start to get this preparation in place”.
