GovWire

27schools have today (19 September 2023), been added to the list of schools and colleges with confirmed cases of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC). This means that174cases have been confirmed and have mitigation work underway or completed.

Schools affected have been supported and have been working hard to put in place mitigations, which means 148 settings are offeringfull timeface-to-face learning to all pupils.

Of the original147schools and colleges that were confirmed as of 30 August, all are now open in some capacity for face-to-face learning, with125open forfull timeface-to-face learning for all pupils. This includes22 settings that have fully re-opened after needing to offer hybrid arrangements or remote learning for a short period of time at the start of term.

The department is continuing to work at pace to survey all schools and colleges that suspect RAAC and by the end of this week, will have met the Education Secretarys commitment to survey every school that was awaiting a survey as of 4 September.

Last year, the department issued a questionnaire to responsible bodies for all 22,000 schools in England to ask them to identify whether they suspected they had RAAC. Responsible bodies have submitted responses to the questionnaire for98.6%of schools with blocks built in the target era.

Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, said:

We are taking a cautious approach so every parent in England can be reassured their child is safe in their school.

School and local leaders deserve huge credit for making sure the vast majority of settings with confirmed RAAC are continuing to offer pupils face to face learning - including all of the 147 schools initially identified two weeks ago.

We will continue to work closely with affected schools and provide both expert and financial support to minimise disruption and keep staff and children safe.

The publication of the list follows a change in guidance to managing RAAC in education settings after new cases emerged over the summer that reduced the Department for Educations confidence that school and college buildings with confirmedRAACshould remain open without mitigations in place. Since it was published, the department has worked at pace to support affected schools and colleges and to survey those who suspect they may have RAAC on site.

Every setting on todays list has already been assigned one of a team of 80 case workers plus project directors working with schools on the ground. Ten regional directors, alongside their teams who know local communities best, are also supporting local schools and responsible bodies. This includes providing short term accommodation options and putting structural solutions in place.

To support this work, the Department for Education has contracts with 3 leading suppliers of temporary accommodation to provide temporary units.

The requirements for each school or college will vary, butthe government will spend whatever it takes and offer whatever assistance is needed to keep children safe. This includes capital funding for emergency mitigation work and supporting schools with additional revenue costs. The department will also fund longer-term refurbishment or rebuilding projects.

1.8 billion has already been committed in capital funding this year to support schools to stay in good working order, as part of 15 billion allocated since 2015. In addition, 500 schools will also be transformed over the next decade through the school rebuilding programme. A further 1.5 billion has been made available for colleges through the further education capital transformation fund.