More than 100 schools with collapse-risk RAAC concrete to have blocks rebuilt
A number of schools in Essex have been affected by the scandal
Last updated 9th Feb 2024
More than 100 schools in England with collapse-risk concrete will have blocks rebuilt or refurbished under the Government's rebuilding programme.
The Department for Education (DfE) has published details on how it will permanently remove reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) from all the affected schools and colleges across the country.
It comes after a school leaders' union called on the Government to provide more financial support to schools facing ongoing issues as a result of Raac.
A total of 234 education settings in England have been identified as having Raac in some areas of their buildings, which is a slight rise on 231 on November 27.
The DfE has said that 119 of these schools will have one or more buildings rebuilt or refurbished through the Government's School Rebuilding Programme as works to remove Raac are more extensive or complex.
A further 110 schools and colleges - where works will typically be smaller in scale - will receive a grant to help them remove Raac from their buildings.
Five schools and colleges have alternative arrangements in place to address the removal of Raac, the DfE said.
Schools affected by RAAC in Essex
In Essex, a number of schools have been affected by the RAAC scandal.
We now know how they'll be helped tackle it:
Essex
- Anglo European School (secondary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Barnes Farm Junior School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Baynards Primary School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Beehive Lane Community Primary School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Bentfield Primary School and Nursery (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Broomfield Primary School (primary): grant
- Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Buttsbury Junior School (primary): grant
- Cann Hall Primary School (primary): grant
- Cherry Tree Academy (primary): grant
- Chipping Ongar Primary School (primary): grant
- Clacton County High School (secondary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Elm Hall Primary School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Elmstead Primary School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Eversley Primary School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Great Leighs Primary School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Great Tey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Harlowbury Primary School (primary): other
- Harwich and Dovercourt High School (secondary): grant
- Hatfield Heath Primary School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Hatfield Peverel St Andrew's Junior School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Henham and Ugley Primary and Nursery School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Hillhouse CofE Primary School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Hockley Primary School (primary) School Rebuilding Programme
- Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, Eight Ash Green and Aldham (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Jerounds Primary Academy (primary): grant
- Joyce Frankland Academy, Newport (secondary): School Rebuilding - Programme
- Katherine Semar Infant School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Katherine Semar Junior School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Katherines Primary Academy and Nursery (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Lambourne Primary School (primary): grant
- Lubbins Park Primary Academy (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Manningtree High School (secondary): grant
- Merrylands Primary School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Mersea Island School (primary): grant
- Mistley Norman Church of England Primary School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Priory Primary School, Bicknacre (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Ravens Academy (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Roding Valley High School (secondary): grant
- Southview School (n/a): School Rebuilding Programme
- Spring Meadow Primary School & School House Nursery (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Springfield Primary School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- St Helena School (secondary): grant
- St Lawrence Church of England Primary School, Rowhedge (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Stanway Fiveways Primary School (primary): grant
- Steeple Bumpstead Primary School (primary): grant
- Tendring Technology College (secondary): grant
- The Appleton School Secondary: RAAC not present
- The Billericay School (secondary): School Rebuilding Programme
- The Bromfords School (secondary): School Rebuilding Programme
- The FitzWimarc School (secondary): School Rebuilding Programme
- The Gilberd School (secondary): School Rebuilding Programme
- The Honywood Community Science School (secondary): School Rebuilding Programme
- The Ramsey Academy, Halstead (secondary): grant
- The Thomas Lord Audley School (secondary): grant
- Thurstable School Sports College and Sixth Form Centre (secondary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Water Lane Primary Academy (primary): grant
- Wells Park School (n/a): grant
- White Court School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- White Hall Academy and Nursery (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Winter Gardens Academy (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Woodville Primary School (primary): grant
- Wyburns Primary School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
Southend-on-Sea:
- Kingsdown School (n/a): School Rebuilding Programme
- Shoeburyness High School (secondary): grant
Thurrock:
- Arthur Bugler Primary School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- East Tilbury Primary School (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Ortu Corringham Primary School and Nursery (primary): School Rebuilding Programme
- St Clere's School (secondary): School Rebuilding Programme
- Thameside Primary School (primary): grant
"Nothing is more important to me than the safety of every child and member of staff in school"
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: "Nothing is more important to me than the safety of every child and member of staff in school.
"We will continue to work closely with schools and colleges as we take the next step to permanently remove Raac from affected buildings."
The DfE has said its Raac identification programme is now complete as 100% of schools and colleges with blocks built in the target era have responded to their questionnaire.
Earlier this week, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), sent an open letter to the Education Secretary calling for schools with Raac to be exempt from Ofsted inspections until they were "fully operational".
A school or college that has confirmed Raac on site will be eligible for an inspection this term, but they can ask for an inspection to be deferred.
"Major issues"
In a letter to Ms Keegan, Mr Barton said managing Raac was still creating "major issues" for schools - including lack of access to specialist equipment and limited or no catering facilities.
Last month, the ASCL called on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to introduce in his spring Budget a new recovery funding stream - which could be used for catch-up provision - for all the schools affected by Raac.
The union warned in its submission to the Treasury that an "unacceptable" wait for mitigation works at Raac-affected schools meant parents were withdrawing their children and moving them to different schools, and applications for September 2024 for these affected schools were down.
Following the DfE's announcement on Thursday, Mr Barton said: "We welcome this much-needed clarity on the nature of the work to remove Raac from the schools and colleges affected.
"This is an important step, but it is only one step towards solving this crisis and a number of unanswered questions remain.
"There must also be clear timelines set out for when this work is going to be completed"
"Given the severe pressures on the school estate as a whole, we need assurances that this work will be funded wholly through additional capital expenditure and money will not be diverted from other sources.
"There must also be clear timelines set out for when this work is going to be completed.
"We continue to urge the Government to provide better support for schools while they wait for Raac to be removed, including through the introduction of a new recovery funding stream to enable catch-up provision for pupils whose learning has been impacted."
"There is still a concern"
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union the NAHT, said: "This announcement doesn't contain any new money from the Treasury, but it does set out how those schools currently identified as being affected by Raac will receive the costs they require for the building work needed to fix it. That will be welcome information for those schools.
"However, there is still a concern that we don't know the full extent of all the schools affected, as not all surveys have been completed successfully.
"And while dealing with Raac is crucial, we really need to see more ambitious investment from the Government in bringing the schools estate up to scratch overall - from Raac, to asbestos, to general disrepair - they need a plan to tackle all school building issues before they become the next big crisis. That can't happen without more money from the Treasury."
What does Labour say?
Catherine McKinnell, shadow schools minister, said: "After many months of inaction and delay, with children learning in draughty Portakabins and bused to neighbouring schools, it appears the Government may finally have woken up to the need to deal with this crisis.
"The unacceptable delays are symptomatic of a Conservative Government that simply does not prioritise the education and needs of children.
"Ministers still have questions to answer about the timetable for completion of these works to finally bring an end to this chaos."