Schools with crumbly RAAC concrete will have it removed or have rebuilding schemes to replace affected buildings started by the end of this Parliament, the education secretary has said.
The Department for Education has announced “new timetables for the removal of RAAC from schools and colleges in England”.
However, it has not said what action will be taken if those timetables are not met.
Bridget Phillipson said today she wanted to see the crumbly concrete removed from all schools that are not in the government’s rebuilding programme by the end of this Parliament – 2029 at the latest.
And all rebuilding programme projects with RAAC on site will begin during this Parliament, the government added.
It comes after a cash injection for school capital investment at the spending review and in the government’s infrastructure strategy, raising spending on maintenance and extending the school rebuilding programme.
‘I won’t let crumbling estate be our legacy’
Phillipson said her government had “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.”
Of more than 22,000 schools and colleges in England, 237 were confirmed to contain RAAC after the crisis boiled over in 2022, delaying the start of term for many pupils. Another delay at one school this year showed how the long tail of the crisis is still disrupting schools.
Of the RAAC-affected schools, 123 are being rebuilt through the school rebuilding programme. Under the government’s pledges today, their rebuilds will have to start before the end of the Parliament.
A further 108 are receiving grants for RAAC removal. The DfE said this removal work will be completed in full by 2029.
The remaining six settings have “alternative arrangements”, such as plans for RAAC buildings to no longer form part of their estate.
Today, the government confirmed RAAC had been permanently removed from 62 schools and colleges. It also said that as of October, 41 schools have been rebuilt through the current rebuilding programme.
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