Warning Raac schools crisis could be 'tip of the iceberg' amid calls for national risk register

The Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (Raac) crisis is continuing to cause chaos for schools returning from the summer break, despite Downing Street insisting progress has been made.

A list published by the Department for Education (DfE) shows 147 schools have been affected so far by Raac, with 19 forced to delay the start of term.

Four have had to switch to remote learning for all students, and an additional 20 have had to offer some remote learning.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is now calling on the government to publish a national risk register for all public buildings in the wake of the crisis.

The union warned the issue in schools is likely to be the “tip of the iceberg”, with hospitals, libraries, community centres and other public buildings also at risk.

Under-pressure Education Secretary Gillian Keegan met with school leaders and MPs in Essex, one of the areas worst hit by Raac, on Thursday.

The Cabinet minister visited the Anglo European School in Ingatestone, Essex, where affected concrete was identified in the roof of their sixth form building in December 2022.

After the visit on Thursday, headteacher Jody Gee said: “It is essential that we have, moving forward now, a plan which is fully funded which has a timescale which is definite and immovable.

“So that schools, and particularly parents and students, are reassured that they are going to be given classrooms and education provision on site which is fit for the 21st century and fit for their learning needs.”

Six major unions representing school staff have written to Ms Keegan demanding she sets out how many schools suspect they have Raac but are yet to be investigated or surveyed.

The National Education Union, Unison, the National Association of Head Teachers and others demanded to know the deadline for clearing all schools of the dangerous concrete.

They fear the level of information from the DfE so far may not “reflect the full extent of the problem”.

Ministers have sought to level some blame on school leaders for a delay in getting the full information together.

But Downing Street said the picture was improving, with only a “small minority” yet to write back.

Ms Keegan told school chiefs yet to respond to a survey on the possible presence of Raac to “get off their backsides” on Tuesday.

It came just a day after the education secretary was recorded on camera by ITV News suggesting others "have been sat on their a***s" over the school Raac crisis and adding the government should be thanked for their response.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan asks why no one was saying she's 'done a f***ing good job', in the moments after an ITV interview on the schools' Raac crisis

One school has told parents it was closing while awaiting a verdict from government-appointed surveyors as to whether Raac is present.

Woodhouse Primary Academy in Quinton, Birmingham, said it was switching to remote learning as they “cannot completely ensure the safety of everyone within the school building at this time”.

Downing Street said it is not aware of other schools shutting while awaiting a survey.

“I don’t believe there’s any requirement to close in advance of a survey,” the prime minister’s official spokesman said.

Meanwhile in Scotland, during the First Minister’s Questions on Thursday, Humza Yousaf confirmed that Raac has now been identified in 40 schools, with further investigations under way.

Ministers were informed of the substance “years” ago, he said, after it was linked to the collapse of a school roof south of the border.

The head of NHS England has also warned MPs the management of Raac in hospitals can be “really quite burdensome” for staff.

Amanda Pritchard told the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) the NHS was working to eradicate the risk but agreed that this did have an impact on local teams.

It came after the committee heard that the daily monitoring of potentially unsafe concrete was impacting clinical work.

“It can put a lot of pressure on teams, not least in terms of enhanced monitoring arrangements,” she said.

Labour MP Olivia Blake said the committee heard “directly from staff” in hospitals who are “having to conduct daily monitoring of Raac” in case there is an incident, and that this is “having an impact on the clinical work”.

She said wards were forced to close “very urgently”, with matrons “on speed dial to property management”.

Ms Blake asked: “Do you think that those clinical changes that are having to be made are acceptable? And what more support could you give to clinical staff to deal with this issue?”

Ms Pritchard added that the NHS continues to follow guidance from the Institution of Structural Engineers but even enhanced monitoring “does not, and can’t completely, eliminate the risk from Raac. That is why the eradication plan is so important”.

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