School closure crisis explained after watchdog blamed underfunding
Parents and teachers are facing a start-of-term nightmare after more than 100 schools were suddenly told they must fully or partly shut.
The announcement followed inspections into lightweight concrete used in hundreds of public buildings after years of warnings. The problem came to the fore in 2018, when a ceiling at Singlewell Primary School in Kent collapsed. The Government has been accused of underfunding school buildings, with a warning in 2021 that the risk of a fatal collapse was "critical and very likely".
In June an alarming National Audit Office report found that an estimated 700,000 pupils in England were being taught in unsafe schools after years of underfunding. Way back in 2020, the Department for Education (DfE) recommended that £5.3billion a year should be spent on tackling the risk, but just £2.3billion had been spent on school repairs from 2017 to 2023.
Now the risks posed by deteriorating reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has been deemed too great to allow many schools to reopen as normal. It raises a number of questions about the Government's handling of school maintenance.
The risk came into sharp focus back in 2018 when a ceiling collapsed at a school in Kent (The risk came into sharp focus back in 2018 when a ceiling collapsed at a school in Kent)
Pupils now face uncertainty after the Government announcement (Joseph Walshe / SWNS)What is RAAC and why is it dangerous?
Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) is a lightweight, "bubbly" form of concrete widely used between the 1950s and 1990s. It was popular with developers because it was cheaper than standard concrete, but that also means it's less durable.
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It's estimated to have a lifespan of just 30 years, and the Health and Safety Executive has said it may "collapse with little or no notice". The Standing Committee on Structural Safety (SCOSS) said: "Although called 'concrete', RAAC is very different from traditional concrete and, because of the way in which it was made, much weaker."
How many schools have RAAC?
At this point there are 156 schools known to have RAAC - but the real number is likely to be far higher. So far this year 52 have put measures in place, with many moving children to other accommodation. But a further 104 schools are now having to close or partially close following the latest wave of inspections.
Is it just schools affected?
No. RAAC was in widespread use for decades. Schools minister Nick Gibb said seven hospitals are being rebuilt because of "extensive RAAC". And he said other public buildings are also being checked for the material.
He said: "Right across the public sector, we are surveying the estate. You've heard of a court closing at Harrow. We are taking action, of course, in the hospital sector as well. Hospitals are very large buildings and they have teams of very expert maintenance people monitoring the building the whole time.
"They use propping where they identify RAAC and also we are rebuilding seven hospitals because of extensive RAAC in those hospitals."
Hospitals and court buildings are also affected by the concrete crisis (ITV News)Were there any warnings?
Plenty. As pointed out above, the collapse of a ceiling at a primary school in Kent put the issue in sharp focus, and that happened back in 2018. In 2021 the DfE assessed the possibility of a building collapse causing death or injury as a "critical and very likely" risk.
A report by the National Audit Office (NAO), published in June, warned that 700,000 children were being taught in schools that needed extensive updating. It led to alarmed school leaders accusing the Government of "neglect".
The NAO found that more than a third - a massive 24,000 - of English school buildings are past their estimated initial design life. Gareth Davies, who heads the watchdog, said in June: “At present, 700,000 pupils are learning in schools requiring major rebuilding or refurbishment. DfE has, since 2021, assessed the risk of school building failure or collapse as critical and very likely, but it has not been able to reduce this risk."
Is underfunding to blame?
It will be hard for the Government to claim otherwise. Back in 2020, the Department for Education (DfE) recommended that £5.3billion a year should be spent on tackling the risk. But just £2.3billion had been spent on school repairs from 2017 to 2023.
The NAO was very clear in its assessment. It said: "In recent years, there has been a significant funding shortfall contributing to deterioration across the school estate."
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Which schools are closing?
Tory minister Nick Gibb refused to provide a list of affected schools and colleges (PA)So far the Government has refused to publicly reveal the 104 schools and colleges which have been told to shut buildings after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was discovered. This morning Schools Minister Nick Gibb defended the decision not to release a full list. He said: "We want schools to talk to parents first before they read about it in the media."
A few schools affected are known, however. The local authority in Bradford revealed that RAAC was detected in Crossflatts Primary School and Eldwick Primary School in the West Yorkshire city. The council said interim alterations to safe areas will be finished by Sunday and temporary classrooms on both school sites have been ordered and should arrive within the next 16 weeks. Elsewhere, the BBC reports affected schools include Ferryhill School, a secondary in County Durham, Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy in Leicester and Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School in Brixton, south London.
When will parents be told?
Many were told yesterday, while others will find out today, the Government said. Some school leaders have yet to be told about the massive disruption they face, Mr Gibb admitted. Asked if all schools have been informed, the minister told Sky News: "The vast majority have. We've been calling them yesterday but there's a few more that we're calling today. These schools are talking to parents about what's happening."
How long will children be out of school for if theirs shuts?
This will vary depending on school capacity in the surrounding area. But The minister said that many pupils could be out of school for over a week if theirs is forced to shut. Mr Gibb said: "On average we find that it's about six days. But we want it to be even less than that."
Why are parents being told so close to the start of term?
The Government has come under fire for informing schools they need to close at such short notice before the start of term on Monday. The schools minister told GB News that new evidence uncovered over the summer gave the DfE no choice but to act. He said: "The decision is being taken now because over the summer, evidence has emerged about buildings in this country and in other countries - not just schools - where reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) that was considered to be non-critical, actually turned out to fail.
"So we took a very strict decision over the summer, we liaised with experts, and we took a cautious approach to make sure, because safety of children and staff in our schools is of the utmost importance." He added: "I know parents and children will be frustrated by this but our paramount concern is the safety of children and staff in those schools."
Will more schools follow?
The minister admitted that there may be more schools affected by RAAC closures, with further survey results still to come. He said: "It's in 156 schools. There may be more after that as these questionnaires continue to be surveyed and we continue to do more surveying work."
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