All schools that are not earmarked to be rebuilt should be free from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) by the end of this parliament, the education secretary has said.
RAAC, which has been shown to be susceptible to structural failure, has been permanently removed from 62 schools and colleges so far, the government has confirmed.
All schools with the crumbling concrete that are earmarked for rebuilding should see those projects underway by the end of this parliament, Bridget Phillipson said. The latest the next general election can be held is summer 2029.
Of the 237 schools and colleges in England that had the presence of RAAC confirmed, 108 received grants from the government to remove the concrete. Ms Phillipson wants all of these sites permanently free from RAAC by the end of the parliamentary term.
A further 123 sites were added to the Department for Education’s school rebuilding programme, which carries out major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at schools and colleges.
The latest government announcement came ahead of the Commons Education Select Committee holding an evidence session today on the progress made since the RAAC crisis in 2023, when more than 100 schools with the material were ordered to close buildings days before the start of term.
Long-term school buildings strategy
Children and families minister Josh MacAlister told the committee that along with its plan to remove RAAC from schools or have rebuilding projects underway by the end of the parliament, the government will also “very soon” be publishing a long-term estate strategy, which will set out how the Department for Education intends to get on top of condition issues in schools.
In her announcement today, Ms Phillipson said: “We 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.”
She added: “It’s about more than just buildings; it’s about showing children that their education matters, their futures matter, and this government is determined to give them the best possible start in life.”
The final six schools and colleges out of the 237 have other arrangements for RAAC removal; for example, in the long term the building affected by RAAC will not be part of their estate.
Under the previous government, more than 100 schools were told days before the new academic year started in 2023 to partially or fully close buildings because of the presence of RAAC.
The crisis left some schools having to delay the start of term, while others had to switch to remote learning until they found alternative spaces.
The previous Conservative government announced in February 2024 that more than 100 of the affected schools would be rebuilt, and the rest would be given a grant to pay for removing the concrete.
So far, 326 of the more than 500 schools in the school rebuilding programme are at some point in the delivery process. The DfE has confirmed funding through to 2034-35, and another 250 schools will be selected within the next two years.
As of this month, 41 schools have been rebuilt through the programme.
‘Chaotic’ process
The RAAC crisis in schools unfolded from August 2023 when, on the eve of the new academic year, the DfE for 104 schools identified as having a RAAC-related risk but no associated safety measures in place.
At today’s hearing, Andy Walls, an education adviser for the NAHT school leaders’ union, told the committee that the steps that were taken to identify RAAC had been a “chaotic process” for schools to navigate.
He said that schools did not know whether they had RAAC present in their buildings, as it can be hidden behind panels.
“There was a mad scramble to try to sort that out,” he said. “It took a while to get going and to acknowledge what needed to be done, but [the DfE] eventually sent out surveyors to look at schools to do a very rough and ready inspection to see whether RAAC was there.
“We had to keep pressing the department to say ‘How many schools is this affecting?’ because we didn’t know, they didn’t know and CDC1 - the condition-of-school survey - couldn’t tell them. They were very much making it up on the hoof, which was difficult because parents don’t want to send their children to schools that are in danger of falling down - and quite rightly”.
Mr MacAlister, who is responsible for school buildings, confirmed the timetable announced by the DfE when he appeared before the committee.
He said: “We are working at pace to remove RAAC from all schools. RAAC has already been removed from 62 schools and colleges, 55 of those completions are since the general election last year.
“And I am able to share that following the RAAC crisis that hit the headlines in 2023, all schools and colleges will either have RAAC removed or be in delivery as a rebuild by the end of this parliament.”
‘No current worries about safety’
Mr MacAlister added: “There are no children in schools at the moment where we’re worried about safety, but it is a risk for the department and our capital projects, which means that we’re putting in the money trying to manage it proactively.”
However, research shows that school buildings have deteriorated because of lack of maintenance, said Dr Jonathan Dewsbury, the DfE’s director of education estates and net zero.
In the wake of the RAAC crisis, the DfE has spent £5 million on research into the condition of school buildings, which is due to conclude in spring 2026, Dr Dewsbury said.
Early findings show “no systematic issues across the education estate”, he told MPs.
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