There have been serious concerns about the use of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in school construction. RAAC is a lightweight, ‘bubbly’ form of concrete commonly used in construction between the 1950s and mid-1990s. It is predominantly found as precast panels in roofs (commonly flat roofs, sometimes pitched) and occasionally in floors and walls.
Over the last year, the Department for Education has been engaging with educational settings to identify buildings which may have RAAC. Up until now, the advice has been to take RAAC areas out of use immediately if assessed by surveyors as ‘critical’. Where they were assessed by surveyors as ‘non-critical’, the Department for Education did not consider the risk to require that these spaces be taken out of use, but to be monitored. However, that position has now changed, due to cases that came to light over the summer.
As a consequence, from 31 August, the Department for Education has been advising schools, colleges and maintained nursery schools with buildings with RAAC confirmed by a surveyor to take the affected space out of use until suitable mitigations have been put in place. This is a necessary and precautionary step to protect the safety of students while adequate mitigations are being put in place.
Support is being made available for educational settings with RAAC. A Department for Education caseworker is being assigned to assess each site’s particular needs and implement individually designed mitigation plans. The capital costs associated with making these spaces safe will be funded by the Department for Education.
I understand the concerns of pupils, parents, and schools as the next academic year begins and would like to assure all concerned that the UK Government has been proactive in addressing this issue and has been updating guidance and prioritising the safety of students ahead of the new term.
The Department for Education has updated guidance and provided a useful overview of the measures taken for anyone concerned:
Everything you need to know about the new guidance on RAAC in education settings
For educational settings within my constituency, the Department for Education published guidance for schools on identifying RAAC and the appropriate steps to take. This guidance was updated in August 2023 and is now published as:
- Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete: identification guidance
- Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete: guidance for responsible bodies and education settings with confirmed RAAC
If I can assist any schools in my constituency who are concerned about the presence of RAAC within their buildings, please do not hesitate to get in touch with my office: [email protected]