More school inspections needed as collapsing concrete sparks safety fears
Herefordshire Council says more than 20 schools will need further inspections, while there are no concerns in Worcestershire.
None of the council-run schools in Herefordshire and Worcestershire are affected by the same “collapse-risk” concrete that has forced more than 100 others to close.
Herefordshire Councils has said more investigations are needed at more than 20 county schools though.
It comes as thousands of pupils are facing disruption just days before the start of the new school year after more than 100 schools, colleges and nurseries were told to immediately close buildings made with concrete prone to collapsing.
Worcestershire County Council has confirmed that none of its schools have used the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) and would not be affected by the most recent government advice.
While none of its maintained schools are affected, the council said that academies would have to report directly to the Department for Education.
Councillor Adam Kent, cabinet member for corporate services and communication at Worcestershire County Council, said: “We have reviewed and undertaken inspections in all our maintained schools.
“Detailed investigations have been undertaken onsite at a number of schools and no RAAC has been found in any maintained school that the council is responsible for.”
The Department for Education (DfE) announced on Thursday (August 31) that “any space or area with confirmed RAAC should no longer be open without mitigations in place.”
Schools with (RAAC) have been told to introduce new safety measures which could include propping up ceilings.
While the vast majority of schools and colleges will be unaffected by this announcement, a report by National Audit Office (NAO) found 572 schools in England where the concrete might have been used.
In Herefordshire, the situation is similar – but further investigations are needed at 25 schools.
A spokesperson said: “We have carried out initial RAAC investigations as part of the latest condition surveys of the maintained and VC voluntary controlled, such as those partly controlled by churches schools we are responsible for, and no schools have been found to be immediately affected.
“To date, 21 schools have been classed as free of RAAC. A further 25 will require more detailed inspection and more intrusive surveys may be needed on some sites.”
Neither council could comment on academies, which will have to report directly to the Department for Education.
RAAC is a lightweight ‘bubbly’ form of concrete used widely between the 1950s and mid-1990s – especially for panels on flat roofs – and lasts around 30 years.
The risk of injury or death from a school building collapse was said to be “very likely and critical” by the NAO in June.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “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.”
Julie McCulloch, director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, said the government had “failed to invest sufficiently in the school estate” – calling the new advice “a scramble.”
“The government should have put in place a programme to identify and remediate this risk at a much earlier stage,” she said.