Bridget Phillipson has set an 2028 deadline for the removal of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) from the 237 affected schools and colleges in England
The education secretary has pledged to remove all RAAC from afflicted schools before the next general election, although questions have been raised over her power to enforce this deadline.
Of the 237 affected schools and colleges in England:
- 123 are being rebuilt via the School Rebuilding Programme
- 108 will receive government grants towards the RAAC removal
- 6 schools and colleges have established plans to exclude the affected buildings from their estate in the future
108 facilities are just removing the RAAC and not rebuilding, 62 of which have now completed works.
The Department for Education has confirmed that works on over half of the schools under the School Rebuilding Programme are underway and should be resolved by the next election.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson commented on her RAAC removal deadline:
“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.”
RAAC was considered a cost-effective material for the public sector in the mid-20th century
First developed in Sweden in the 1930’s, RAAC became a popular ingredient of public infrastructure built from the 1950s to 1990s in the UK, being used in schools and hospitals.
The material, often used in floor and wall planks, was relatively quick to install and boasted an impressive thermal performance in terms of ventilation, due to its porous texture.
However, this porosity also made RAAC particularly vulnerable to water damage. If the supporting steel beams are water-damaged, RAAC’s structural integrity becomes highly compromised, as was revealed when roof panels fell at at Gravesend primary school in 2018.
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