All we know about schools told to shut over concrete safety fears - full list

02 September 2023 , 10:13

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All we know about schools told to shut over concrete safety fears - full list

This is the full list so far of schools that have been forced to partially or fully close, or undertake emergency works, because of the “ticking time bomb” concrete they were built with.

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete is a lightweight alternative to traditional concrete that was used between the 1960s and 1990s. It boomed in popularity because it was cheaper and lighter than the normal substance used in buildings - and it was widely deployed in the construction of public buildings like NHS buildings and hospitals, and schools.

However, due to its air-bubbled filled nature, it’s not as strong as traditional concrete, and wears over time and it has a life-span - one we’re now well past. This led to one primary school building roof collapsing five years ago. But the problem has been apparent even before that, as one expert warned the Mirror that RAAC was like a “ticking time bomb”.

A taped off section inside Parks Primary School, which was built partly with RAAC (PA)

In recent days the Mirror has exclusively reported that 150 schools were told to shut their crumbling buildings. The Mirror also revealed the full list of NHS buildings, including seven hospitals, built with the crumbling concrete. Essex has been by far worst hit, with 65 schools in the country built with RAAC.

Graham Hasting-Evans, president of the British Association of Construction Heads and chief executive of the National Open College Network, who described the issue as a “ticking time bomb” and said he’s worried decision-makers were “burying their heads in the sand”, when it comes to dealing with the problem.

Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him

Some schools have been forced to delay their opening after the school holidays (PA)

Even as schools are receiving notices to close, he remains concerned over the safety issues over the long-term failure to deal with RAAC in establishing its full usage and assessing wear and tear, meaning that "time bomb" is closer to going off. He said: “The risk is, they [hospitals] don’t know, the schools don’t know and that’s when they get a catastrophic event but you hope it won’t happen … we’re in the danger zone in terms of the times scale. It could be next week, it could be a Grenfell type incident when they [students] all go back to school."

RAAC has been described as like 'chocolate aero' and is not as strong, or long lasting, as normal concrete (PA)

The schools affected have been hit in a wide variety of ways, from being forced to close fully, or partially, to having emergency last minute work done to make the site safe for pupils and staff. The Department of Education said 156 school buildings were identified as having RAAC. Of them, 52 were at risk of sudden collapse and the other 104 are trying to put safety measures in place.

Explaining the recent action, the department said that "new cases have made us less confident that buildings containing RAAC should remain open without extra safety measures in place." However, when approached for comment, the Department of Health confirmed hospitals and NHS buildings affected would remain open.

The full list so-far of schools forced to close partially or fully, or undertake emergency works, because of RAAC

Essex:

• Hockley Primary School, Rochford
• Mistley Norman Church of England Primary School, Manningtree
• St Andrews Junior School, Hatfield Peverel
• Kingsdown School, Southend-on-Sea
• Stanway Fiveways Primary School, Colchester
• Honywood Community School, Coggeshall
• Baynards Primary School, Tiptree
• Thurstable School, Tiptree
• Winter Gardens Academy, Canvey Island
• Woodville Primary School, South Woodham Ferrers
• The Gilberd School, Colchester
• The Appleton School, Benfleet
• Katherines Primary Academy, Harlow
• White Hall Academy, Clacton-on-Sea
• Ramsey Academy, Halstead
• Ravens Academy, Clacton-On-Sea
• St Clere's School, Stanford-le-Hope
• East Bergholt High School, Colchester
• The Billericay School, Billericay
• Clacton County High School, Clacton
• Jerounds Primary School in Harlow
• Tendring Technology College, Frinton Campus
• White Hall Academy primary, Clacton
• Wyburns Primary School, Rayleigh
• The Bromfords School, Wickford
• Springfield Primary School, Chelmsford
• Arthur Bugler Primary School, Thurrock
• The Cherry Tree Academy, Colchester
• The Coopers' Company and Coburn School
• East Tilbury Primary School, Thurrock
• Roding Valley High School, Loughton
• Thameside Primary School
• Thomas Lord Audley School, Colchester

Suffolk

• Claydon High School, Claydon
• Hadleigh High School, Hadleigh
• Farlingaye High School, Woodbridge

Berkshire

• St Francis Catholic Primary School, Ascot

Buckinghamshire

• Waddesdon School

Leicestershire

• Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy, Leicester
• Parks Primary School, Leicester
• Mayflower Primary School, Leicester

Northamptonshire

• Buckton Fields Primary School, Northampton
• Northampton International Academy

Hampshire

• Cranbourne College, Basingstoke

Shropshire

• Donnington Wood Infants School, Donnington

London

• Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, Brixton
• St Gregory's Catholic Science College, Brent
• The Ellen Wilkinson School, Ealing
• St Thomas More Catholic Comprehensive, Eltham
• Three unidentified schools in the borough of Tower Hamlets
• St Mary Magdalene and St Stephen's CE Primary School, Westminster
• Cleeve Park School, Sidcup

Lancashire

• Our Lady's Catholic High School, Preston
• Fulwood Secondary, Preston

Greater Manchester

• Canon Slade School, Bolton
• St Bernard's School, Bolton
• St William of York Catholic Primary School, Bolton

West Yorkshire

• Crossflatts Primary School, Bradford
• Eldwick Primary School, Bradford

South Yorkshire

• Abbey Lane Primary School, Sheffield

North Yorkshire

• Scalby School, Scarborough

County Durham

• Ferryhill School, Ferryhill
• St Bede's Catholic School, Easington
• St Benet's Catholic Primary School, Ouston
• Byron Sixth Form Peterlee, Easington
• St Leonard’s Catholic School, Durham
• St James Catholic Primary, Hebburn
• St Teresa's Catholic Primary School

• Carmel College and Sixth Form, Darlington

Nottinghamshire

• Holy Trinity Catholic Academy, Newark
• Carnarvon Primary School, Bingham (needs further checks)

West Midlands

• Wood Green Academy, Wednesbury
• Aston Manor Academy, Birmingham

Warwickshire

• Ayelsford School, Warwick
• Myton School
• Outwoods Primary School, Atherstone

Worcestershire

• Pershore High School

Cumbria

• Cockermouth School, Cockermouth

East & West Sussex

• Greenway Junior School, Horsham

Surrey

• The Link School

Tyne & Wear

• St Anne's Catholic Primary School, Gateshead
• St James Catholic Primary School, Hebburn
• St John Bosco Catholic Primary School, Sunderland

Kent

• St Bartholomew's Catholic Primary School

This list has been compiled by The Mirror based on other media reports and information from schools. The government has not released a full list of schools built partially or fully with RAAC.

Kieren Williams