Ninety per cent of schools hit by crumbling concrete scandal have not had RAAC removed

Exclusive: Education secretary Bridget Phillipson is facing calls to urgently speed up the removal of RAAC from school buildings

More than a year since the RAAC scandal emerged, nearly 90 per cent of schools receiving government support to remove dangerous concrete have not had work carried out, The Independent can reveal.

Labour education minister Stephen Morgan has also admitted that it could take up to five years to fix the nationwide problem, which has left thousands of pupils being taught in temporary classrooms.

Latest figures show at least 232 schools are to get help through government money after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was found amid the national scandal last autumn.

The crumbly concrete, described as “80 per cent air” and “like an Aero bar”, was the cause of three roofs caving in at UK schools in 2023, with the Conservative government at the time promising funding to remove the material.

However, Mr Morgan said only 30 schools had so far had RAAC removed through government grants.

The 232 schools include 110 receiving grant funding to take out the concrete, while 122 are having one or more impacted buildings rebuilt or refurbished under the government’s school rebuilding programme.

But the rebuilding programme could also take three to five years to complete, said Mr Morgan in response to a parliamentary question submitted by the Liberal Democrats.

It means that nearly nine in ten schools are waiting to have RAAC removed through government funding.

The Lib Dems said the pace of the rebuilding programme would mean disruption for as many as 68,000 pupils and called for ministers to urgently publish a plan to speed up the work.

One school was given just 24 hours to close due to aerated concrete and had to spread its 500 pupils across four sites. The Mayflower Primary School in Leicester was left teaching some children remotely while some attended the mosque and a manor house, headteacher Luke Whitney said at the time.

Bridget Phillipson is facing calls to urgently speed up the removal of RAAC from schools (PA)

Another school, Honywood School in Coggeshall, Essex, brought in contractors to construct a new temporary building, dubbed Space Village, to allow pupils being taught online to return.

Lib Dem education spokesperson Munira Wilson told The Independent: “Thousands of children are studying in dangerous schools or inadequate temporary buildings, with the timeline for repair stretching on for years. This generation of young people saw unprecedented disruption to their education under Covid, so that 90 per cent of schools are yet to see action to remove RAAC is deeply concerning.

School rooms, and even entire schools, have been forced to close due to the presence of RAAC (PA)

“The Conservatives left our school buildings falling apart. This government must act swiftly to end the crumbling schools scandal, and it seems that neither the RAAC removal grants nor the School Rebuilding Programme are delivering with the urgency we need.

“The government must set out a plan to speed up the schools rebuilding programme, so that students across the country can get back to their classrooms, halls and sports and arts facilities.”

And National Education Union general secretary Daniel Kebede told The Independent: “It is imperative that greater efforts are made to prioritise these repairs which, by their nature, are safety critical.

“Though school rebuilding can be a good long-term solution, delaying repairs for up to five years seems like leaving a great deal to chance. That is not acceptable. The process must be speeded up to minimise disruption and to keep pupils and staff safe.”

Outside the 232 schools to get financial support to tackle the issue, a further five are pursuing alternative plans such as disusing impacted buildings, according to a government fact sheet issued in August.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Driving high and rising school standards is at the heart of our mission to improve children’s life chances, and high-quality and sustainable buildings are a key part of that.

“For too long our school estate has been neglected – but this government is now gripping the issue, ensuring our schools are fit for the future. That’s why, despite having to take difficult decisions at the Budget to fix the foundations, we are increasing investment next year to £2.1bn to improve the condition of school buildings, and will be starting work on another 100 projects under the School Rebuilding Programme next year.

“Targeted funding is being provided to schools affected by RAAC to resolve issues and help ensure the safety of all children, including supporting them with temporary provision so every child has a suitable education.”