Phillipson sets out end-of-parliament timelines for removing Raac from schools

All schools that are not earmarked to be rebuilt should be free from reinforced autoclaved aerated concreate (Raac) by the end of this parliament, the Education Secretary has said.

Raac, which has been shown to be susceptible to structural failure, has been permanently removed from 62 schools and colleges so far, the Government has confirmed.

All schools with the crumbly concrete that are marked for rebuilding should be in delivery by the end of this parliament, Bridget Phillipson has added.

Of the 237 schools and colleges in England which had confirmed Raac, 108 received grants from the Government to remove the concrete. Ms Phillipson wants all of these permanently free from Raac by the end of this parliament.

A further 123 were added to the Department for Education’s (DfE) School Rebuilding Programme, which carries out major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at schools and colleges.

Ms Phillipson said: “We inherited a crumbling education estate, but I won’t let that be our legacy.

“After years of neglect we are giving every child a safe and high-quality classroom where they can focus on learning – by setting clear timelines for the permanent removal of Raac from schools and colleges. It’s what parents expect, it’s what children deserve and it’s what we are delivering.

“It’s about more than just buildings; it’s about showing children that their education matters, their futures matter, and this Government is determined to give them the best possible start in life.”

The final six schools and colleges have other arrangements, for example in the long term the building affected by Raac will not be part of their estate.

Under the previous government, more than 100 schools were told days before the new academic year started in 2023 to partially or fully close buildings because of the presence of Raac.

The crisis left some affected schools having temporarily to delay the start of term at the time, and others switching to remote learning while they found alternative spaces.

The former government announced early last year that more than 100 of the affected schools would be rebuilt, and the rest would be given a grant to pay for removing the concrete.

So far, 326 of the more than 500 schools in the school rebuilding programme are at some point in the delivery process. The DfE has confirmed funding through to 2034/35, and another 250 schools will be selected within the next two years.

As of this month, 41 schools have been rebuilt through the programme.