Listen to this story Members can listen to an AI-generated audio version of this article. 1.0x Audio narration uses an AI-generated voice. 0:00 0:00 Become a member to listen to this article Subscribe Work is yet to begin at nearly all of the RAAC-riddled schools promised rebuilds, sparking concerns that children will spend key parts of their education in temporary classrooms. Experts also fear that it could take decades for ministers to clear the wider school rebuilding backlog, as figures obtained by Schools Week show more than half of the projects still haven’t gone out to tender. This comes after government officials unveiled plans to trial a new “alliancing” approach in Essex to secure contractors faster and cut waits. Pepe Di’Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the maintenance backlog was the result of capital funding failing to reach the level needed to keep the school and college estate in a good condition. “It’s time to invest in our schools and colleges so that all children and staff have access to safe and comfortable buildings that are fit for the future.” 2029 RAAC target The collapse of a primary’s flat roof in 2018 – at a weekend and with no casualties – is believed to have brought RAAC’s fragility to ministers’ attention. But it wasn’t until August 2023 that they ramped up their policy, ordering 104 schools to partially or fully close. By the end of 2024 reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) had been discovered in 234 schools. Of these, 119 were guaranteed rebuilds. The remainder were given removal grants. Last year, education minister Josh MacAlister assured MPs the government was working “at pace to remove” the concrete from the estate. All those affected “will either have RAAC removed or be in delivery as rebuilds by the end of this parliament”, he said. “In delivery” is understood to mean anything from pre-tender feasibility works to completed development. ‘Folly’ However, Department for Education figures obtained through freedom for information (FOI) cast doubt over progress. The data – which was secured months late and only after Schools Week appealed to the information watchdog for help – suggests work had not started on all but five (96 per cent) RAAC projects at the start of April. Seventy-eight (66 per cent) had not gone out to tender, while seven were left off the FOI. The DfE did not explain why. Stephen Morales, of the Centre for Education Operational Excellence, warned there was a risk that many youngsters could be left to spend key parts of their education in “suboptimal accommodation”. “It’s two years since we identified the RAAC problem and we’re still in a situation where tenders haven’t taken place. The likelihood of those children being properly accommodated by 2029 is low.” Morales also called for a “much more precise definition of delivery”. ‘We want it to end’ Our analysis suggests construction was in progress at four of the schools, while only one – St John’s Catholic Primary in Hertfordshire – had been completed. Scalby School in Scarborough is one of those still waiting for construction to begin, with the work yet to go to tender. Its pupils continue to be housed in temporary buildings, three years after two-thirds of the secondary, run by Delta Academies Trust, was taped off. Andy Barnett, Delta’s chief executive, said everyone wanted the situation to be resolved “as quickly as possible in the best interests of students and staff.” Brendan Tapping, the chief executive of the Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, confirmed that work at St John Bosco Primary in Sunderland would go out tender “in the coming weeks”. Di’Iasio said it was “incumbent on the government to deliver on its commitment”. “That is the very least these communities deserve.” He said the government could provide extra funding at the upcoming budget if it were needed to keep the rebuilding programme on schedule. Rebuild backlog The projects are being delivered through the DfE’s school rebuilding programme (SRP). More than 500 schools have been selected – but the FOI revealed 285 (55 per cent) were waiting to go out tender. Seventy-six (15 per cent) were under construction, while 54 (10 per cent) had been completed. The rest were either out to tender or waiting for workers to move on to site. A National Audit Office report previously said the DfE was “behind its initial schedule for awarding contracts”. In 2023, 24 contracts had been awarded, compared with its target of 83, with just one project completed. Reasons for “this slower than planned progress” included construction sector “instability” and “inflationary risks” post Covid, with officials changing their “project funding policy to reflect market conditions”. Funding expert Tim Warneford said there were “some sector sceptics” who did not have confidence the schemes would be ready by the 2035 target, believing “more and more schools [will get] added to an ever longer list”. But at the education estates conference this week, Jane Balderstone, the DfE’s education estates director, said “over 80 per cent” of the SRP projects were “in delivery”. Alliances and expansions She also revealed that the DfE was trialling a new “alliancing” approach to rebuilds, which the department hoped would shorten the pre-construction process. This was being piloted in 18 of Essex’s RAAC schools. Work would be secured in batches, rather than 18 separate procurements. Slides shown to delegates said this would optimise “pre-construction activity” and streamline “planning activities to reduce avoidable delays and uncertainties” to approvals. Officials are also due to reveal the names of 250 more schools set to be added to the SRP early next year. Labour published its education estates strategy earlier this year, which it hopes will shift the dial from a “reactive patch and mend” system to “more proactive management, long-term strategic maintenance and more renewal” of existing buildings. ‘The right thing’ The new £710 million renewal and retrofit programme – which is set to be trialled in about 50 schools – is part of this approach. Ruth Sharp, of the DfE, told the conference the scheme was “largely aimed at projects with a value between £1 million and £5 million”. She noted only “16 per cent” of responsible bodies could afford developments costing over £3 million. DfE official Jabu Chowdhury argued rebuilding every school was not sustainable and “not the right thing to do”. “When I was starting on my career journey, we were rebuilding schools for around £20 million, but now it’s double that in some cases – so it’s a lot of money. “And it’s a lot of disruption. It takes three-plus years at times to rebuild. That can’t be the solution for all the schools in the country.” The DfE did not respond to requests for comment.