New figures show RAAC found in more schools

New figures have shown more schools and colleges have been identified as having Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) present. 

According to The Education Hub, this takes the number of RAAC confirmed cases up to 214. Of these:

• 202 settings are providing face-to-face learning for all pupils
• 12 settings have put hybrid arrangements in place

Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “This rise in the number of affected schools sadly comes as no surprise, but the disruption this will cause for even more pupils, parents and staff members is a real concern. 

“While ministers have made promises over funding and support for schools, there is no clear timeline for when will work will be completed and there appears to be no end in sight to this crisis. 

“The government must set out clearly when it will provide the longer-term funding our school buildings desperately needed. 

“Our members in schools affected by RAAC have on the whole told us that the immediate response they’ve received from the Department for Education has been mostly good. 

“But NAHT and our members were warning about the state of school buildings and the presence of RAAC for a long time before it was finally taken seriously, and if action had been taken sooner, sudden disruption on this scale could have been avoided. 

“Many schools are still waiting for temporary classrooms and buildings to be put in place, with some members telling us that they are not expecting them to be ready for more than six weeks. 

“Plans for rebuilding and for schools to return ‘to normal’ are even more nebulous – school leaders are unsure how long ‘temporary’ arrangements will last and are telling us they are unsustainable in the long-term. 

“Schools are having to repurpose specialist facilities, dining halls, PE rooms, and spaces for after-school provision and wrap-around care, which is having a huge impact on communities, provision, and on schools’ income. Changes to catering arrangements are causing difficulty and raising costs. 

“School leaders are very clear that they must not be forgotten after the initial crisis response, and that proper rebuilding and RAAC removal must happen quickly, with funding to cover all additional costs guaranteed.”