September 1st 2023.
The RAAC scandal has caused widespread panic, as it was revealed that over 100 schools had to partially or fully close in time for the start of the new school year. This is due to the risk of sudden collapse from the use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in construction.
Yesterday, two schools in Bradford, Crossflatts Primary School and Eldwick Primary School, were revealed to have RAAC detected in its buildings. This has been followed by further announcements that Ferryhill School, a secondary in County Durham, Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy in Leicester and Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School in Brixton, south London, are also affected.
The use of RAAC as a building material was popular in the 1950s, up to the mid-1990s, due to its lightweight thermal properties. However, it is now known to be weak and less durable, with a life expectancy of little more than 30 years, meaning buildings constructed from this period are at risk of collapse. This is further heightened when the building is exposed to wet conditions, such as leaking roofs.
As a result, the government is coming under more pressure to name all of the schools at risk and publish the full list. National Education Union general secretary Daniel Kebede said: “It is absolutely disgraceful, and a sign of gross government incompetence, that a few days before the start of term, 104 schools are finding out that some or all of their buildings are unsafe and cannot be used.”
Not only that, but schools may also have to fund their own emergency accommodation if buildings are forced to close. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has assured parents that “most parents should not be worried about this at all”. However, Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has called on ministers to “come clean with parents and set out the full scale of the challenge”.
If you’re concerned that your child’s school has been affected by RAAC closures, you can get in touch at email. The government must now be held to account and publish the full list of schools at risk of collapse.
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