School concrete – live: More affected classrooms emerge as hospitals treat heavy patients on ground floor

Heavier patients in some hospitals where RAAC has been used need to be treated on the ground floor because the roofs above them are not safe, it has been revealed.

The shocking disclosure was been made after a group of MPs visited the hospital, built with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

“In one hospital staff can carry out roof maintenance only if they and their tools are a certain weight,” Dame Meg Hillier, chairwoman of parliament’s public accounts committee, told The Times.

“Heavy patients must be treated on the ground floor because the combined weight with equipment is too heavy to be safe.”

Disruption to schools due to unsafe concrete could continue until 2025, parents were warned earlier as the BBC reported that a further 12 schools have been told they need to close or partially shut buildings because of RAAC.

Key Points

• Heavier patients treated on ground floor due to RAAC risk

• MP warns of ‘jaw dropping’ state of hospitals

• Thousands of pupils to start term from home as schools warned of building collapse

• Disruption to schools could continue until 2025, parents warned

• List of schools that are closing due to safety fears

Saturday 2 September 2023 15:43 , Katy Clifton

Thanks for following our live updates, we’re pausing our coverage for the night but you can check out more on the concrete crisis here.

Where is RAAC most commonly found

Saturday 2 September 2023 15:15 , Matt Mathers

RAAC is most commonly found on flat roofs, but may also be found in pitched roofs, floors or walls.

It is known to be present in outdoor wall panels, indoor wall panels and ceilings, Matt Macdonald and Ove Arup Partners Ltd told the BBC.

The concrete was mostly used in one and two-storey buildings.

Call Cobra meeting to address ‘unsafe buildings', Lib Dems tell Sunak

Saturday 2 September 2023 14:42 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak must hold a Cobra meeting to address the “crisis of unsafe buildings” in schools, hospitals and homes, the Liberal Democrats.

The opposition party called on the prime minister to treat the issue as a national emergency.

“This government has yet again put children and patients last,” Treasury spokeswoman Sarah Olney said.

She added: “Rishi Sunak needs to treat this as the crisis it is for every family affected and call a Cobra meeting to put into place urgent safeguards and alternatives.

“The government knew this was happening and had no plan to immediately fix the crumbling hospitals, sort the disrepair in schools and make people safe in their own homes.

“Rishi Sunak is leaving families to pay the price for the chaos caused by his lack of leadership. He doesn’t care or just doesn’t get it.

“Call a Cobra now, take responsibility, get temporary solutions for every school – parents need to know that there is urgent action to put this right.”

School will have to serve dinners in classrooms

Saturday 2 September 2023 13:51 , Matt Mathers

Pupils at a school in Kent will be forced to eat their lunches in classrooms as RACC is dealt with.

St Bartholomew’s Catholic Primary School’s hall is one of the schools affected by the unsafe concrete.

The material was identified before the summer but will not be fixed before the end of the holidays, its headteacher has said in a letter to parents.

"Unfortunately, despite the school’s best efforts, this has not been possible," the head teacher wrote.

“RAAC is only isolated to the school hall which continues to be closed.

“The rest of the school is safe and operating as usual. Hot lunches will be prepared in the school kitchen and served in classrooms.”

The Independent View: The school buildings safety scandal has exposed the shaky foundations of a floundering government

Saturday 2 September 2023 13:20 , Matt Mathers

Editorial: Ministers can’t be blamed for crumbling concrete but, as they’ve known it posed a potential risk in schools since 2018, they are open to charges of negligence, complacency and incompetence

Read the full editorial here:

Editorial: The school buildings scandal has exposed the Tories’ weak foundations

ICYMI: More schools may have to shut over concrete fears amid warning chaos could continue for years

Saturday 2 September 2023 13:00 , Matt Mathers

The government has admitted that the number of schools forced to close over dangerous crumbling concrete is likely to rise – as teachers and parents were braced for years of disruption over the issue.

As school leaders prepared for a weekend dash to inspect more buildings and put in temporary measures before next week’s back-to-school rush, Nick Gibb admitted there “may be more” schools, nurseries and colleges affected by the chaos, on top of the 156 already identified.

Archie Mitchell reports:

How many more of our classrooms could collapse? Fears chaos could continue for years

12 more schools affected by RAAC

Saturday 2 September 2023 12:30 , Matt Mathers

A further 12 schools have been confirmed as having to shut or partially close building because of RAAC.

The BBC reports the schools are in County Durham, Essex, Scarborough, Thurstable, Sidcup, Beddington, Suffolk, Manchester and Hebburn.

The government has so far refused to publish a full list of the school affected.

Labour calls for ‘urgent audit’ of entire public sector estate

Saturday 2 September 2023 12:08 , Matt Mathers

Labour is calling for an “urgent audit” of the entire public sector estate amid fears buildings could collapse due to RAAC.

Angela Rayner, the party’s deputy leader, accused the government of “sitting on its hands for years” before shutting schools “the week before term starts”.

“The public needs to know how much damage the Tories have done to our schools, prisons, hospitals and job centres over the past 13 years of incompetent government,” she said.

“An urgent, full audit is required to find out the extent that Conservative ministers failed to replace this dangerous concrete across the public sector estate.”

Obese patients treated on hospital ground floor because of fears of crumbling concrete collapse

Saturday 2 September 2023 11:35 , Matt Mathers

Obese patients are being treated on the ground floor of a hospital because of fears that floors above them made of crumbling concrete could collapse.

The shocking disclosure has been made after a group of MPs visited the hospital, built with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports:

Obese patients treated on hospital ground floor because of concrete collapse fears

‘Ministers knew about dodgy concrete in schools'

Saturday 2 September 2023 11:16 , Matt Mathers

Ministers knew about dodgy concrete in schools – but did nothing, writes Labour’s shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson.

“And the rot started with Michael Gove in 2010 when he scrapped Labour’s schools rebuilding programme”.

Read Bridget’s full comment piece here:

Ministers knew about dodgy concrete in schools – but did nothing | Bridget Phillipson

‘A nightmare’: Inside one of first schools closed over crumbling concrete scandal

Saturday 2 September 2023 10:53 , Matt Mathers

Parents have been voicing their frustration at being told about the RAAC issue just days ahead of the new term.

In Leicester, where some schools have already returned for the new academic year, Colin Drury finds teachers and parents scrambling to deal with a school forced to shut with little warning.

“The first most parents knew about it was when we arrived for pick-up,” one tells Colin. “All the children were out on the field. It was awful.”

Read the full piece here:

‘A nightmare’: Inside one of first schools closed over crumbling concrete scandal

What sparked the RAAC fiasco?

Saturday 2 September 2023 10:35 , Matt Mathers

A minister has revealed that just one collapsed beam at a school sparked the emergency decision to halt the return to classrooms for over 100 schools.

Schools minister Nick Gibb said a number of instances had occurred “over the summer” where a type of concrete used in a number of schools was found to be “unsafe”.

This included a beam collapsing on school premises, despite there being no external signs it was a “critical risk”.Holly Evans has more:

The one beam that has forced over 100 schools to close

When was RAAC first flagged as dangerous?

Saturday 2 September 2023 10:15 , Matt Mathers

Last year, construction experts warned RAAC was a “ticking time bomb” and estimated around “half” of the four million non-residential buildings in the UK were affected by the material.

Now, more than 100 schools, nurseries and colleges in England have been told by the government to close classrooms and other buildings that contain aerated concrete that is prone to collapse.

So when was the material first used, when was it first flagged as a danger, and what was done about it?

Alexander Butler reports:

The RAAC concrete ‘ticking time bomb’ that schools were warned about years ago

Watch: Experts explain why RAAC is more dangerous than normal concrete

Saturday 2 September 2023 09:50 , Matt Mathers

‘Possible’ more schools will be affected - council leader

Saturday 2 September 2023 09:35 , Matt Mathers

It is “possiblle” that more schools than the 156 quoted by the government will be affected by RAAC,  a council leader has warned.

Roger Gough, Conservative leader of Kent County Council and spokesman for the county councils network, spoke to BBC Radio 4 earlier this morning.

“I think it’s quite possible”, he told the programme when asked about the risk to other schools.

In total, the government said 156 schools were found to contain RAAC, of which 104 require urgent action while 52 have already received repair works.

Mr Gough said this was a “relatively small” number when taking into how many schools there are in the UK.

There are 24,372 schools across the UK, official figures show.

‘Eye-watering’ sums being spent mitigating RAAC risk - Hiller

Saturday 2 September 2023 09:20 , Matt Mathers

Millions of pounds are being spent on mitigating the risks of lightweight concrete in hospitals, the chairwoman of the Public Accounts Committee has said, describing the sums as “eye-watering and wasteful”.

Labour MP Dame Meg Hillier said: “(You) wonder why it has been left to deteriorate for so long.”

“In both schools and hospitals, there hasn’t been enough money going into buildings and equipment,” she told Times Radio.

Dame Meg said hospitals are working around the problems they have with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), a lightweight material prone to collapse which was used until the 1990s, which she added was is costing an “enormous amount.”

“The cost of doing it is enormous. We’re talking millions of pounds to survey a roof in a corridor in order to make sure they know where the problems are… Every time another problem arises, they have to go back and do another survey,” she said.

She said the costs were “eye-watering and wasteful when you think about the problems in the NHS at the moment”.

Recap: What exactly is RAAC and why is it dangerous?

Saturday 2 September 2023 09:04 , Matt Mathers

An unsafe type of concrete, described as looking like the inside of an Aero chocolate bar, has forced the closure or partial shutdown of more than 100 schools.

The material has been used in other public buildings such as hospitals, courts and police stations. But what exactly is reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete and why is it such a risk?

Alexander Butler reports:

What is RAAC concrete? How to tell if school buildings are at risk of collapse

Concrete closure list: What schools will have to close because of crumbling RAAC?

Saturday 2 September 2023 08:36 , Matt Mathers

In total, the government said 156 schools were found to contain RAAC, of which 104 require urgent action while 52 have already received repair works.

Some 35 schools have been impacted in Scotland, Sky News reports, though no announcement has been made on closures yet.

Below is a full list of all the schools we know that are affected by the issue:

Concrete closure list: The schools affected by crumbling RAAC so far

RAAC ‘tip of the iceberg’ in crumbling schools estate - senior Labour MP

Saturday 2 September 2023 08:05 , Matt Mathers

Ministers are facing calls for transparency over the scale of aerated concrete in public buildings after schools were forced to shut classrooms just before the new term.

Experts have warned that the crisis over reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) could extend beyond the education sector – with healthcare settings, courts and offices also potentially at risk.

Chairwoman of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee Dame Meg Hillier warned Raac is just “the tip of the iceberg” of a crumbling school estate, telling The Times the state of some public buildings was “jaw-dropping”.

Full report:

Ministers facing calls for transparency over scale of Raac in public buildings

Patients going into RAAC-built hospitals ‘should not worry’ - NHS boss

Saturday 2 September 2023 07:34 , Matt Mathers

Patients “should not worry” about NHS hospitals that have been built with RAAC, an NHS boss has said.

Mathew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said “work was being done” to ensure the safety of sites that have been built using the material.

He did say, however, that the issue could affect appointments and waiting lists.

“I don’t think anyone should worry - even in those seven hospitals that are entirely RAAC - they’re not at risk going into those buildings,” Mr Taylor told BBC Radio 4 Today.

ICYMI: More schools may have to shut over concrete fears amid warning chaos could continue for years

Saturday 2 September 2023 07:22 , Matt Mathers

The government has admitted that the number of schools forced to close over dangerous crumbling concrete is likely to rise – as teachers and parents were braced for years of disruption over the issue.

As school leaders prepared for a weekend dash to inspect more buildings and put in temporary measures before next week’s back-to-school rush, Nick Gibb admitted there “may be more” schools, nurseries and colleges affected by the chaos, on top of the 156 already identified.

Archie Mitchell reports:

How many more of our classrooms could collapse? Fears chaos could continue for years

Concrete problem could be far wider than schools

Saturday 2 September 2023 06:40 , Adam Withnall

Specialists have said the issue with dangerous and crumbling concrete used in construction could be far wider than just affecting schools.

Other buildings are at risk of “sudden and catastrophic collapse” if Raac is not removed, they said.

Chris Goodier, professor of construction engineering and materials at Loughborough University, said “the scale of problem is much bigger than schools”, covering health, defence, justice and even the private sector.

Matt Byatt, president of the Institution of Structural Engineers, said that any high-rise buildings with flat roofs constructed between the late 1960s and early 1990s may contain Raac.

Labour has called for an “urgent audit” to identify the risk of the concrete across the public sector estate, while the Liberal Democrats said the public and NHS staff need “urgent clarity” over whether hospital wards and buildings could be forced to close.

Raac, a lightweight building material used up to the mid-1990s, is thought to be present in buildings at 34 hospitals across England, and thegovernment has pledged seven of the worst affected will be replaced by 2030.

How many schools are affected by the Raac concrete crisis?

Saturday 2 September 2023 05:40 , Adam Withnall

At least 104 schools and colleges have been told by the Department for Education to partially or fully shut buildings just as pupils prepare to return after the summer holidays.

Though not confirmed, it is estimated that around 24 schools in England have been told to close entirely because of the presence of Raac, the PA news agency understands, and schools minister Nick Gibb has admitted more could be asked to shut classrooms.

The Scottish government has said 35 schools in Scotland contain Raac, and a string of partial building closures are already in force.

Mr Gibb said that a collapse of a beam that had been considered safe over the summer sparked an urgent rethink on whether buildings with the aerated concrete could remain open.

He insisted schools were contacting affected families and told the BBC’s Today programme “we will publish a list”, but only once they are in a “stable place”.

Growing calls for greater transparency over scale of school concrete problem

Saturday 2 September 2023 04:39 , Adam Withnall

The government is being urged to provide greater clarity over the number of schools impacted by the issue of crumbling concrete.

Ministers have refused to reveal the full list of schools affected, as experts warned the crisis over reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) could extend beyond the education sector - with healthcare settings, courts and offices also potentially at risk.

Chairwoman of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee Dame Meg Hillier warned Raac is just “the tip of the iceberg” of a crumbling school estate, telling The Times the state of some public buildings was “jaw-dropping”.

Opposition parties are demanding information about the scale of Raac across the public sector estate, with Labour calling for an “urgent audit”.

Former home secretary Dame Priti Patel added further pressure, telling the BBC the closures were “deeply concerning” and would make the start of term “quite difficult”

More schools may have to shut over concrete fears amid warning chaos could continue for years

Saturday 2 September 2023 03:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The government has admitted that the number of schools forced to close over dangerous crumbling concrete is likely to rise – as teachers and parents were braced for years of disruption over the issue.

As school leaders prepared for a weekend dash to inspect more buildings and put in temporary measures before next week’s back-to-school rush, Nick Gibb admitted there “may be more” schools, nurseries and colleges affected by the chaos, on top of the 156 already identified.

The schools minister also conceded that some parents are still in the dark about whether their children will return to classrooms after the summer break, with some schools still unaware they will have to close.

Archie Mitchell reports:

How many more of our classrooms could collapse? Fears chaos could continue for years

Students at special needs school ‘thrown into chaos’ due to aerated concrete

Saturday 2 September 2023 02:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Parents of children with special needs were called just days before the start of the new term to be told their school had to shut as it is fitted with a concrete that could suddenly collapse.

Louise Robinson, headteacher of Kingsdown School in Southend, Essex, called parents of students, who are aged between three and 14 and have severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties, physical disabilities and associated learning difficulties, on Thursday to tell them the news that the school will be closed next week due to the aerated concrete.

It comes amid chaos across the country as 104 schools and colleges have been told by the Department for Education (DfE) to partially or fully close buildings just as students prepare to return after the summer holidays.

The government has not identified the schools but the list also includes: Parks Primary, Mayflower Primary School and Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy in Leicester; Cranbourne College in Basingstoke; Crossflatts Primary School and Eldwick Primary School in Bradford; Abbey Lane Primary School in Sheffield.

Ms Robinson said: “Instead of preparing to welcome our students back to class, we’re having to call parents to have very difficult conversations about the fact the school is closed next week.

“We’re hoping that a solution can be found that allows us to open the school, at least partially, but that entirely relies on ensuring the safety of our pupils and staff, and approval by DfE.”

The school’s main building has been ordered to close, which has special equipment inside that the students need and cannot be accessed.

Ministers knew about dodgy concrete in schools – but did nothing

Saturday 2 September 2023 01:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The start of a new school year means new uniforms, books and school shoes all being readied for the return to classrooms next week. Children should be excitedly looking forward to getting back together with friends and learning together after the summer break. Instead, just days before children are due to return, schools have been told to close due to unsafe, crumbly concrete.

Parents will understandably have a sense of deja vu. At the start of the school term in January 2021, primary school children went back to school for just one day before being sent home. Now, at the start of another school term, Conservative incompetence is keeping children at home again.

The rot started with Michael Gove in 2010 when he scrapped Labour’s schools rebuilding programme, writes shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson:

Ministers knew about dodgy concrete in schools – but did nothing | Bridget Phillipson

The one beam that has forced over 100 schools to close

Saturday 2 September 2023 00:30 , Eleanor Noyce

A minister has revealed that just one collapsed beam at a school sparked the emergency decision to halt the return to classrooms for over 100 schools.

Schools minister Nick Gibb said a number of instances had occurred “over the summer” where a type of concrete used in a number of schools was found to be “unsafe”.

This included a beam collapsing on school premises, despite there being no external signs it was a “critical risk”.

Read more:

The one beam that has forced over 100 schools to close

What is RAAC concrete? How to tell if school buildings are at risk of collapse

Friday 1 September 2023 23:30 , Eleanor Noyce

More than 100 schools, nurseries and colleges in England have been told by the government to close classrooms and other buildings that contain aerated concrete that is prone to collapse.

But what is aerated concrete, and why is it such a risk?

Alexander Butler reports:

What is RAAC concrete? How to tell if school buildings are at risk of collapse

The RAAC concrete ‘ticking time bomb’ that schools were warned about years ago

Friday 1 September 2023 22:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Last year, construction experts warned RAAC was a “ticking time bomb” and estimated around “half” of the four million non residential buildings in the UK were affected by the material.

Now, more than 100 schools, nurseries and colleges in England have been told by the government to close classrooms and other buildings that contain aerated concrete that is prone to collapse.

So when was the material first used, when was it first flagged as a danger, and what was done about it?

Alexander Butler reports:

The RAAC concrete ‘ticking time bomb’ that schools were warned about years ago

Concrete closure list: What schools will have to close because of crumbling RAAC?

Friday 1 September 2023 21:32 , Eleanor Noyce

Calls have been made for the Department for Education (DfE) to release the full list of schools that have been ordered to close over safety fears.

Pupils across the country will be forced to resume their studies either online or in temporary facilities after the government ordered more than 100 schools to close immediately following fears over a type of concrete, described as “80 per cent air” and “like an Aero Bar”.

Known as reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), the potentially dangerous material was used to construct schools, colleges, and other buildings between the Fifties and mid-Seventies in the UK, but has since been found to be at risk of collapse.

In total, the government said 156 schools were found to contain RAAC, of which 104 require urgent action while 52 have already received repair works. Some 35 schools have been impacted in Scotland, Sky News reports, though no announcement has been made on closures yet.

Read more:

Scottish government confirms collapse risk concrete present at 35 schools

Friday 1 September 2023 21:00 , Eleanor Noyce

The Scottish government has confirmed Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (Raac) has been found in 35 schools across Scotland.

The material is a lightweight concrete used from the 1950s up to the mid-1990s which is being assessed after it was linked to the collapse of the roof at Singlewell Primary School in Kent in 2018.

On Friday evening, the Scottish government said it has “sought to reassure ministers” that mitigation is in place to avoid disruption at the 35 schools.

Pupils at the 104 schools south of the border will be placed in temporary accommodation amid the presence of Raac.

Earlier on Friday, the Scottish government confirmed work was under way to fully understand the presence of Raac across the school estate in Scotland, with local authorities expected to prioritise remedial work.

Figures obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrats in May claimed the substance was present in at least 37 schools in Scotland.

Ministers have also stressed pupils will not be taught in the parts of buildings where the concrete is considered a risk.

A Scottish government spokesperson said: “This is an issue that all parties are taking seriously and reviews of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (Raac) in property have been conducted by local authorities, NHS Scotland and other public sector organisations for some time so we can all fully understand the scope of Raac, including in the school estate.

“We have now received returns from all local authorities and councils have sought to reassure ministers that in the small number of schools where they have identified Raac, appropriate mitigation plans have already been put in place to ensure the safety of pupils and staff, including ensuring that pupils are not being taught in parts of buildings at risk due to Raac.

“Ministers are clear that they expect local authorities to continue to monitor the situation and we will continue to work closely with them in their response to the challenge.”

Government urged to ‘provide clarity’ on scale of Raac risk across public sector

Friday 1 September 2023 20:45 , Eleanor Noyce

The government is being urged to provide clarity on the impact of a lightweight concrete prone to collapse on hospitals and other public buildings after schools were told to shut affected classrooms.

Experts have warned that the crisis over reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) could extend beyond the education sector, with healthcare settings, courts and offices also potentially at risk.

Opposition parties are demanding information about the scale of Raac in other buildings, with Labour calling for an “urgent audit”.

It comes after 104 schools and colleges were told by the Department for Education to partially or fully close buildings just as pupils prepare to return after the summer holidays.

Though not confirmed, it is estimated that around 24 schools in England have been told to close entirely because of the presence of Raac, the PA news agency understands, and schools minister Nick Gibb has admitted more could be asked to shut classrooms.

Mr Gibb said that a collapse of a beam that had been considered safe over the summer sparked an urgent rethink on whether buildings with the aerated concrete could remain open.

But the problem could be far wider, with other buildings at risk of “sudden and catastrophic collapse” if Raac is not removed, specialists said.

Matt Byatt, president of the Institution of Structural Engineers, said that any high-rise buildings with flat roofs constructed between the late 1960s and early 1990s may contain Raac.

He said expert bodies had warned government departments about the dangers of the material in 2018 - adding that “everyone was aware” of the problem.

“Luckily it is being dealt with now. You can’t wait for people to get hurt before making these kinds of decision,” he said.

Professor Chris Goodier, professor of construction engineering and materials at Loughborough University, said: “The scale of problem is much bigger than schools.

“It also covers much of the building stock in the country. This also includes health, defence, justice, local government, national government, and also a lot of the private sector.”

The government is facing questions over why it did not act sooner over schools, and opposition parties are demanding information about the extent to which Raac affects other buildings.

Schools forced to shut or tape off rooms over collapse-risk concrete

Friday 1 September 2023 20:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Schools across the country have been forced to close or tape off sections of buildings days before the new term starts after aerated concrete was identified.

Parents were informed of the emergency measures taken by the schools and colleges, which have had to partially or fully close buildings because of the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), which could suddenly collapse.

A headteacher at one school for children with special needs had to call parents to inform them the school would not be opening just days before the new term started.

Louise Robinson, headteacher of Kingsdown School in Southend, Essex, called parents of students, who are aged between three and 14, on Thursday to tell them the news that the school will be closed next week due to the aerated concrete.

It comes amid chaos across the country as 104 schools and colleges have been told by the Department for Education (DfE) to partially or fully close buildings just as students prepare to return after the summer holidays.

The Government has not identified the schools but the list also includes: Parks Primary, Mayflower Primary School and Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy in Leicester; Cranbourne College in Basingstoke; Crossflatts Primary School and Eldwick Primary School in Bingley, near Bradford; Abbey Lane Primary School in Sheffield; Scalby School in Scarborough; St Leonard’s Catholic School in Durham; Winter Gardens Academy in Essex; and Corpus Christi Catholic School in Brixton, London.

Ms Robinson said: “Instead of preparing to welcome our students back to class, we’re having to call parents to have very difficult conversations about the fact the school is closed next week.

“We’re hoping that a solution can be found that allows us to open the school, at least partially, but that entirely relies on ensuring the safety of our pupils and staff, and approval by DfE.”

The school’s main building has been ordered to close, which has special equipment inside that the students need and cannot be accessed.

Concrete closure list: What schools will have to close because of crumbling RAAC?

Friday 1 September 2023 20:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Calls have been made for the Department for Education (DfE) to release the full list of schools that have been ordered to close over safety fears.

Pupils across the country will be forced to resume their studies either online or in temporary facilities, after the government ordered more than 100 schools to close immediately following fears over a type of concrete, described as “80 per cent air” and “like an Aero Bar”.

Known as reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), the dangerous material was used to construct schools, colleges, and other buildings between the Fifties and mid-Seventies in the UK, but has since been found to be at risk of collapse.

Read more:

Concrete closure list: The schools affected by crumbling RAAC so far

More schools may have to shut over concrete fears amid warning chaos could continue for years

Friday 1 September 2023 19:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The government has admitted that the number of schools forced to close over dangerous crumbling concrete is likely to rise – as teachers and parents were braced for years of disruption over the issue.

As school leaders prepared for a weekend dash to inspect more buildings and put in temporary measures before next week’s back-to-school rush, minister Nick Gibb admitted there “may be more” schools, nurseries and colleges affected by the chaos, on top of the 156 already identified.

He also conceded that some parents are still in the dark about whether their children will return to classrooms after the summer break, with some schools still unaware they will have to close.

Archie Mitchell writes:

How many more of our classrooms could collapse? Fears chaos could continue for years

Bridget Phillipson: Ministers knew about dodgy concrete in schools – but did nothing

Friday 1 September 2023 19:00 , Eleanor Noyce

The start of a new school year means new uniforms, books and school shoes all being readied for the return to classrooms next week. Children should be excitedly looking forward to getting back together with friends and learning together after the summer break. Instead, just days before children are due to return, schools have been told to close due to unsafe, crumbly concrete.

Parents will understandably have a sense of deja vu. At the start of the school term in January 2021, primary school children went back to school for just one day before being sent home. Now, at the start of another school term, Conservative incompetence is keeping children at home again.

The rot started with Michael Gove in 2010 when he scrapped Labour’s schools rebuilding programme, writes shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson:

Ministers knew about dodgy concrete in schools – but did nothing | Bridget Phillipson

Disruption, uncertainty and anxiety: Inside one of first schools closed over crumbling concrete scandal

Friday 1 September 2023 18:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Because of a quirk of tradition, the summer holidays end a week earlier in Leicester than in the rest of the country.

So when the government announced on Thursday that 156 schools across the country were at risk of collapsing, one of those schools – Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy in the East Midlands city – was already full of children.

“My understanding is they literally evacuated the place,” said parent Raj Kaur on Friday. “The first most parents knew about it was when we arrived for pick up. All the children were out on the field. It was awful. Children were crying. My first thought was ‘has something terrible happened?’”

To some extent, something terrible had.

Colin Drury reports:

Disruption and anxiety: Inside one of first schools closed over crumbling concrete

Primary school hall damaged as area closed off due to concrete concerns

Friday 1 September 2023 18:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Footage shows damage at a hall inside a primary school that has been affected by sub-standard reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

Parks Primary School in Leicester is one of more than 100 schools, nurseries and colleges in England that have been told by the Government to close classrooms and other buildings that contain a form of concrete that is prone to collapse.

It comes just days before the new school year is due to start.

Some schools will be forced to shut completely, with thousands of pupils now at risk of having to start the year taking lessons online or in temporary accommodation.

Primary school hall damaged as area closed off due to concrete concerns

Back to school chaos: Thousands of pupils to start term from home as 100 schools warned of building collapse

Friday 1 September 2023 17:35 , Eleanor Noyce

More than 100 schools in England have been told to immediately close classrooms and buildings over safety fears, plunging the annual back to school rush into chaos for many.

Thousands of pupils now risk having to start the year taking lessons online or in temporary accommodation.

Ministers were accused of “incompetence” after the order – which will see some schools forced to shut completely – was issued just days before schools reopen next week after the summer break.

The number of schools affected could still rise as newly issued government guidance set out plans to survey all schools suspected of suffering similar problems within “weeks”.

Thousands to start term from home as 100 schools warned of building collapse

Concrete closure list: What schools will have to close because of crumbling RAAC?

Friday 1 September 2023 17:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Calls have been made for the Department for Education (DfE) to release the full list of schools that have been ordered to close over safety fears.

Pupils across the country will be forced to resume their studies either online or in temporary facilities, after the government ordered more than 100 schools to close immediately following fears over a type of concrete, described as “80 per cent air” and “like an Aero Bar”.

Known as reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), the dangerous material was used to construct schools, colleges, and other buildings between the Fifties and mid-Seventies in the UK, but has since been found to be at risk of collapse.

In total, the government said 156 schools were found to contain RAAC, of which 104 require urgent action while 52 have already received repair works.

Read the full list:

Concrete closure list: The schools affected by crumbling RAAC so far

Mayor of London working with schools affected by Raac to ensure free school meals

Friday 1 September 2023 17:14 , Eleanor Noyce

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is working alongside schools affected by Raac to ensure access to free school meals continues for eligible students.

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, said: “The Mayor believes it is absolutely scandalous that the government has failed to act on this hugely important issue and that some parents are in the dark about whether their children can return to school next week.

“He is calling on the government to immediately publish a full list of impacted schools and come clean with parents about the scale of the problem.

“The government should have prioritised this issue instead of leaving our schools to crumble to the point that some of them are now unsafe for children to be taught in.

“The Mayor’s team is working with the affected schools to try to ensure free school meals are still available to affected primary school children.”

Labour calls for ‘urgent audit’ into government’s handling of public sector buildings

Friday 1 September 2023 17:01 , Eleanor Noyce

Labour has called for an “urgent audit” into the government’s handling of public-sector buildings containing a concrete that could suddenly collapse.

Deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “The safety of the public is not being taken seriously by this reckless Tory government. If public safety is at risk, we need to know urgently.

“The government sat on their hands for years and then shut schools the week before term starts. We cannot let them lurch from crisis to crisis.

“The public needs to know how much damage the Tories have done to our schools, prisons, hospitals and job centres over the past 13 years of incompetent government.

“An urgent, full audit is required to find out the extent that Conservative ministers failed to replace this dangerous concrete across the public sector estate.”

Teachers clear out classrooms after 104 schools in England told to shut over concrete

Friday 1 September 2023 16:55 , Eleanor Noyce

Teachers cleared out classrooms at one of more than 100 schools forced to close due to concrete safety fears.

Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy staff in Leicester removed chairs and bookcases after they were forced to delay the start of term when buildings were shut due to concerns they could collapse without warning.

The primary school is one of three in Leicester forced to shut some buildings due to concerns over the use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), a lightweight form of concrete that was used in schools, colleges and other building construction from the 1950s until the mid-1990s.

Teachers clear out classrooms after 104 schools in England told to shut over concrete

Construction expert discusses how to fix problem of ageing concrete in school buildings

Friday 1 September 2023 16:40 , Eleanor Noyce

An expert explains how to address the issue of ageing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in buildings.

RAAC, which can be found in many schools in England, is prone to sudden failure as it ages.

More than 100 schools, nurseries and colleges in England have been told by the government to close buildings that may be prone to collapse.

Chris Goodier, Professor of Construction Engineering and Materials at Loughborough University, said that while surveys may show that most RAAC in buildings is ok, some will have to [be] remedied.

“This might mean a complete replacement of the roof, which takes time and can be costly, or it might mean some form of failsafe or structural strengthening, which involves installing, for example, some steel or timber brackets.”

Watch:

Construction expert discusses how to fix problem of ageing concrete in schools

Watch: Schools minister says he would let nieces and nephews sit under propped-up concrete ceilings

Friday 1 September 2023 16:25 , Eleanor Noyce

A schools minister has said he would be happy for his nieces and nephews to sit under a classroom ceiling propped up by beams to keep it standing.

Nick Gibb’s comments came as more than 150 schools in England have been identified as having a type of concrete prone to collapse, with many now closing buildings or classrooms to make them safe.

Speaking to LBC’s Nick Ferrari programme, Mr Gibb expressed his confidence in the precautionary measures being taken to ensure the safety of students in schools affected.

Some of the measures include schools having their ceilings propped up with steel girders.

Asked if he would be happy to see his young nieces and nephews to sit in a classroom under a ceiling propped up by a steel girder, Mr Gibb said: “Yes, because we’re taking a very precautionary approach.

“Some say we are being overcautious in dealing with this. But the advice is you can prop up these beams. Where they are in a more dangerous condition, of course, we take that room out of use altogether.

“And that’s the work that’s happening with a case worker, with support from the department, in those 156 schools, and we continue to work to identify Raac throughout the school system.

“There’s no country in the world where you can be as assured, as in this country, that you have a government that is on top of this issue and is doing everything to identify where Raac is and take action when we think it is unsafe for pupils.”

Labour MP labels situation schools have been put in ‘appalling'

Friday 1 September 2023 16:10 , Eleanor Noyce

Louise Haigh, Labour MP for Sheffield Heeley, labelled the situation schools have been put in “appalling”.

She said: “Raac was identified as an issue back in 2018 and there remain schools around the country which the government do not know if they contain this material and are therefore a risk to children.

“Nor has the government funded the works to protect children - the council has funded the cost of a new roof, amounting to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

“It is appalling that the government has allowed schools across the country to fall into such dilapidation and are now expecting councils and schools to foot the bill. Just days before children return to school after the summer break, it is totally unacceptable that children, schools and parents and carers have been put in this position.”

School given day to shut over concrete risk with pupils split across four sites

Friday 1 September 2023 16:03 , Eleanor Noyce

A school was given 24 hours to close due to aerated concrete and had to spread its 500 pupils across four sites which included a mosque’s community hall and a manor house.

Luke Whitney, headteacher of Mayflower Primary School in Leicester, said the school was one of the first where reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was identified in April, and they were given one day to empty the building in what he described as an “absolute nightmare”.

They had to revert to online learning initially as they did during the pandemic, and in the days that followed the community came together and two schools offered spare space for classes, a mosque let them use its community hall and a manor house was also used.

The pupils were split up into four groups and the school carried on in person until they were told part of the original building could be used again just before the summer holidays.

Half of the pupils are now back on site and half are still being taught elsewhere while a temporary school is built on the grounds, which Mr Whitney hopes will be ready in February next year.

But it is not known if the former building can be repaired or will need to be demolished.

Mr Whitney said: “Our survey took place on 5 April, the recommendation was made on 20 April - they gave us 24 hours to evict the entire premises. That was a substantial challenge for the parents, students, staff and community.

“Tables, chairs, learning resources, all of the books and possessions, it was an absolute nightmare.

“Everyone was completely shocked, it’s the last thing you expect to hear.

“We had to briefly revert to online learning. We all knew during the pandemic it was not an adequate replacement, so we had to work really quickly to source alternative accommodation.

“Our community came to our aid, about eight or nine days in we managed to begin some face-to-face teaching.

“We were spread over four sites - an old manor house which was just lovely for the younger children, the lovely local mosque gifted us their community centre, and space at two schools.

“It was a really nice story of community action to support those who needed it.”

Students at special needs school ‘thrown into chaos’ due to aerated concrete

Friday 1 September 2023 15:55 , Eleanor Noyce

Parents of children with special needs were called just days before the start of the new term to be told their school had to shut as it is fitted with a concrete that could suddenly collapse.

Louise Robinson, headteacher of Kingsdown School in Southend, Essex, called parents of students, who are aged between three and 14 and have severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties, physical disabilities and associated learning difficulties, on Thursday to tell them the news that the school will be closed next week due to the aerated concrete.

The government has not identified the schools but the list also includes: Parks Primary, Mayflower Primary School and Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy in Leicester; Cranbourne College in Basingstoke; Crossflatts Primary School and Eldwick Primary School in Bradford; Abbey Lane Primary School in Sheffield.

Ms Robinson said: “Instead of preparing to welcome our students back to class, we’re having to call parents to have very difficult conversations about the fact the school is closed next week.

“We’re hoping that a solution can be found that allows us to open the school, at least partially, but that entirely relies on ensuring the safety of our pupils and staff, and approval by DfE.”

The school’s main building has been ordered to close, which has special equipment inside that the students need and cannot be accessed.

Lydia Hyde, Labour and Co-operative Party councillor for Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, said the situation was “awful” and a plan should have been made in March when the school was first inspected.

She added: “The main building of the school has been affected, no-one can go in it, it’s riddled with the stuff unfortunately.

“It’s a special educational needs school, there’s special equipment in there, some customised for certain children, at the moment we can’t get to that.

“We know that it’s going to be closed for at least the next week, we don’t know beyond that.

“It’s the right decision that the children aren’t going back to this school as it is unsafe, this should have been sorted out months ago, the Local Government Association has been warning the government for a long time.

“The school was first inspected in March, that’s when a plan should have been made, but that hasn’t happened.”

Sheffield primary school built with dangerous concrete filmed in aerial footage

Friday 1 September 2023 15:40 , Eleanor Noyce

A Sheffield primary school which was built using dangerous concrete can be seen with parts of the building covered up in tarpaulin as work is carried out to replace the material.

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was used in the roof over the kitchen at Abbey Lane Primary School in Woodseats, Sheffield council officials said.

Work on the school is due to be completed in December at a cost of £620,000.

More than 100 schools, nurseries and colleges in England have been told by the government to close classrooms and other buildings that contain RAAC, which is prone to collapse.

Reconstruction of schools affected by RAAC could cost more than £500m, analysis shows

Friday 1 September 2023 15:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The cost to repair school buildings affected by unsafe concrete could cost the Government more than £500m, analysis shows.

Research by BCIS, a construction data company, shows it could cost £5m to replace each school building at risk with RAAC.

Dr David Crosthwaite, chief economist at BCIS, said repair work would mean employment of surveyors, engineers, maintenance contractors, and Portakabin manufacturers.

He said all buildings constructed with RAAC should be inspected regularly, and ideally replaced.

“Assuming that these are all individual school buildings, the cost implications for the Government are huge. Each building might cost £5m or more each to replace based on our data”, Dr Crosthwaite told The Independent.

“There are certainly many other public buildings including hospitals that would have used reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

“This will mean a lot of work for surveyors and engineers, maintenance contractors, Acrow prop manufacturers and possibly Portacabin manufacturers at a time when according to the Office for National Statistics, more than one in five construction businesses are experiencing a shortage of workers.

“RAAC was supposed to have a 30 year design life and most of the buildings affected are beyond this.”

Schools told moving to remote education should be ‘last resort'

Friday 1 September 2023 15:25 , Eleanor Noyce

Schools were told moving to pandemic-style remote education should be considered only as a “last resort and for a short period”, whilst Labour has demanded that the government names all the affected schools.

The local authority in Bradford revealed on Thursday that Raac was detected in Crossflatts Primary School and Eldwick Primary School in the West Yorkshire city.

Both interim and long-term alteration works are being carried out to ensure children can be accommodated on the two sites, according to Bradford Council.

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 eight-10 weeks at Crossflatts and 14-16 weeks at Eldwick.

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.

The possible presence of the concrete was being assessed in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, where education is devolved.

The Welsh government said councils and colleges have not reported any presence of Raac.

More schools could be told to close classrooms over collapse-risk concrete

Friday 1 September 2023 15:10 , Eleanor Noyce

More schools could be told they need to immediately shut classrooms because they are fitted with a concrete that could suddenly collapse, the schools minister has admitted.

Nick Gibb said on Friday that a collapse over the summer of a beam that had been considered safe sparked an urgent rethink on whether buildings with the aerated concrete could remain open.

Though not confirmed, it is estimated that around 24 schools in England have been told to close entirely because of the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), the PA news agency understands.

The Department for Education (DfE) sought to dampen some of the anger by altering guidance to confirm that the cost of temporary and emergency accommodation will in fact be covered by the government.

Some 104 schools and colleges have been told by the DfE to partially or fully close buildings just as pupils prepare to return after the summer holidays.

But Mr Gibb conceded that more schools could be told to make closures as evidence-gathering continues over the presence of the concrete.

“There may be more after that as these questionnaires continue to be surveyed and we continue to do more surveying work,” he told GB News.

But Mr Gibb insisted pupils and parents should not be apprehensive about the risk during the wait for the results.

“No, they shouldn’t worry,” he said.

Scottish Lib Dem leader urges Scottish government to reveal schools with Raac risk

Friday 1 September 2023 14:55 , Eleanor Noyce

Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has urged the Scottish government to reveal which schools are impacted by the Raac risk.

He added: “Ministers need to pull their heads out of the sand and take action. We now know from England that beams previously assessed as safe can still catastrophically collapse. Does Scotland have to have a tragedy before ministers take this seriously?

“This issue has been bubbling up for months and its ridiculous that the Scottish government have failed to use the summer to rigorously assess the scale of the problem and get repairs under way.”

Teachers’ union NASUWT’s general secretary Patrick Roach called for an immediate survey of school buildings.

He said: “We are calling on the Scottish government to urgently take steps to assess the safety of the schools estate.

“We need to be clear about which buildings may be affected by Raac and what plans are in place to ensure children’s education faces minimum disruption if their schools are found to be unsafe.”

Pupils will not be taught in parts of buildings where concrete is a risk, Scottish government say

Friday 1 September 2023 14:41 , Eleanor Noyce

Ministers have stressed pupils in schools impacted by Raac will not be taught in the parts of buildings where the concrete is considered a risk.

A Scottish government spokesman said: “This is an issue the Scottish government takes very seriously and so we have been working with partner bodies to understand the scope and nature of what we are dealing with.

“Reviews of Raac in property are being conducted by local authorities, NHS Scotland and other public sector organisations.

“Work is currently under way with local authorities to understand the presence of Raac across the school estate.

“We have received returns for the majority of the school estate and expect to have full returns from all local authorities this week.

“For those schools where Raac is found, appropriate mitigation plans have and will be put in place to ensure the safety of pupils and staff. Ministers are clear that they expect local authorities to prioritise this work.

“We issued guidance and background on Raac to the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland and Scottish Heads of Property Services networks. We will continue to work closely with all those bodies in responding to the challenge.”

Scottish schools to be assessed for presence of collapse-risk concrete

Friday 1 September 2023 14:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The presence of collapse-risk concrete in Scottish schools is being assessed by ministers after the UK government confirmed it will close more than 100 buildings due to the potentially harmful material.

Pupils at the 104 schools south of the border will be placed in temporary accommodation amid the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

The material is a lightweight concrete used from the 1950s up to the mid-1990s which is being assessed after it was linked to the collapse of the roof at Singlewell Primary School in Kent in 2018.

The Scottish government has confirmed work is under way to fully understand the presence of Raac across the school estate in Scotland, with local authorities expected to prioritise remedial work.

Figures obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrats in May revealed the substance was present in at least 37 schools in Scotland.

The data showed the light and bubbly form of precast concrete was present in nine schools in Dumfries and Galloway, seven in Aberdeen, six in Clackmannanshire and five in West Lothian.

Two schools in Dundee, the Highlands and North Lanarkshire were also found to contain the material, as well as single schools in Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute, East Lothian and Perth and Kinross.

Guidance from the Institution of Structural Engineers instructs the material to be replaced only if it is deemed to be in a poor condition and is considered a high risk, otherwise it can be managed in place.

The Scottish government said local authorities are currently undertaking reviews of the presence of Raac in public buildings in Scotland, including schools and hospitals.

It said that where it is found, remedial work could include the closure of impacted rooms or sections of the building and the use of temporary, modular provision for pupils to ensure the continuity of education.

‘Misleading’ to call Raac concrete as it is much lighter, Institution of Structural Engineers president advises

Friday 1 September 2023 14:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Matt Byatt, president of the Institution of Structural Engineers, said it is “misleading” to call Raac concrete as it is far lighter than that term allows.

He said it is better understood as a “bubbly, breezeblock” type material that acts like a “sponge” soaking up moisture when it gets wet.

The extra weight, combined with the fact that Raac roof planks tend to dip or sag over time, makes them prone to sudden collapse, Mr Byatt said.

“It was first used because it was lightweight, cheap, and good for insulation but it wasn’t capable of bearing heavy loads,” he said.

“The problem is that for a lot of them, the steel reinforcements did not go to the end of the (Raac) planks, meaning a small section of unreinforced Raac is taking all the weight.”

Concrete chaos the ‘defining image of 13 years of Conservatives’, says shadow education secretary

Friday 1 September 2023 14:05 , Eleanor Noyce

Commenting on school minister Nick Gibb’s claims that he would let his family sit under propped-up concrete ceilings, shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson has labelled the concrete chaos the “defining image of 13 years of a Conservative-run education system.”

“Children sat underneath steel girders to protect them from the ceiling falling in - the defining image of 13 years of a Conservative-run education system”, Ms Phillipson said.

“You can’t give children a first class education in second-rate buildings.

“The next Labour government will ensure schools are fit for purpose and children are safe.”

The government has found out that out of the 156 schools in England using Raac materials, only 52 have implemented precautions to mitigate potential risks, including structural collapse.

In response, the Department for Education (DfE) has issued a directive to these schools, instructing them to promptly close buildings constructed with Raac.

Though not confirmed, it is estimated that about 24 schools in England have been told to close entirely because of the presence of Raac.

‘The scale of problem is much bigger than schools’, construction expert warns

Friday 1 September 2023 14:00 , Eleanor Noyce

A report by the Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures published in April 2020 urged its members to check as a “matter of urgency” whether their buildings had the material.

The report said that Raac was used “primarily” in offices and schools but that it had also been found in a “wide range” of other buildings in both the public and private sector.

It said concerns had been raised about the safety of Raac roof planks as early as the 1990s and early 2000s.

“The limited durability of Raac roofs and other Raac structures has long been recognised; however recent experience (which includes two roof failures with little or no warning) suggests the problem may be more serious than previously appreciated and that many building owners are not aware that it is present in their property,” the report said.

Professor Chris Goodier, professor of construction engineering and materials at Loughborough University, said: “The scale of problem is much bigger than schools.

“It also covers much of the building stock in the country. This also includes health, defence, justice, local government, national government, and also a lot of the private sector

“Most of the towns in the country have old factories and offices and some of those will have Raac.”

Nick Gibb: I would let my family sit under propped-up concrete ceilings

Friday 1 September 2023 13:55 , Eleanor Noyce

A schools minister has said he would be happy for his nieces and nephews to sit under a classroom ceiling propped up by beams to keep it standing.

Nick Gibb’s comments came as more than 150 schools in England have been identified as having a type of concrete prone to collapse, with many now closing buildings or classrooms to make them safe.

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) is a building material used in the latter half of the 20th century, but is now assessed to be at risk of collapse.

Speaking to LBC’s Nick Ferrari programme, Mr Gibb expressed his confidence in the precautionary measures being taken to ensure the safety of students in schools affected.

Some of the measures include schools having their ceilings propped up with steel girders.

Asked if he would be happy to see his young nieces and nephews to sit in a classroom under a ceiling propped up by a steel girder, Mr Gibb said: “Yes, because we’re taking a very precautionary approach.

“Some say we are being overcautious in dealing with this. But the advice is you can prop up these beams. Where they are in a more dangerous condition, of course, we take that room out of use altogether.

“And that’s the work that’s happening with a case worker, with support from the department, in those 156 schools, and we continue to work to identify Raac throughout the school system.

“There’s no country in the world where you can be as assured, as in this country, that you have a government that is on top of this issue and is doing everything to identify where Raac is and take action when we think it is unsafe for pupils.”

Mr Gibb had earlier revealed that the collapse over the summer of a beam that had been considered safe sparked an urgent rethink on whether buildings with the aerated concrete could remain open.

Dangerous concrete may be found in other buildings, experts warn

Friday 1 September 2023 13:50 , Eleanor Noyce

Unstable concrete causing classrooms to be shut at more than 100 schools in England may be found in other public buildings, experts have warned.

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), often found in roofing, is weaker than conventional concrete and is at risk of collapse, especially when it becomes wet and has inadequate steel beams to support it.

Schools across the country were forced to make last-minute arrangements on Friday as they were told their buildings may be unsafe.

But the problem could be far wider, with offices, courthouses, hospitals, and factories at risk of “sudden and catastrophic collapse” if Raac is not removed, specialists said.

It comes after Harrow Crown Court in north-west London was closed indefinitely last week because the material was found there, while on Friday schools minister Nick Gibb said the government was rebuilding seven hospitals due to extensive use of Raac and would be surveying buildings “right across” the public sector.

Matt Byatt, president of the Institution of Structural Engineers, said that any high-rise buildings with flat roofs constructed between the late 1960s and early 1990s may contain Raac.

He said expert bodies had warned government departments about the dangers of the material in 2018 - adding that “everyone was aware” of the problem.

Mr Byatt said: “Raac has been found in schools, there was a massive thing about it in hospitals and there was a courthouse shut down last week. They are beyond their serviceable life. We (structural engineers) raised the issue several years ago.

“It is the responsibility of building owners and estate managers to ensure their buildings are safe. The information was out there - everyone including all government departments were aware of it.

“Luckily it is being dealt with now. You can’t wait for people to get hurt before making these kinds of decisions.”

Number of impacted schools could reach 1,000 as pupils forced to use ‘festival-style’ toilets

Friday 1 September 2023 13:45 , Eleanor Noyce

One schools estate manager has warned that the number of schools forced to close due to Raac could reach as many as 1,000, with the ramifications ongoing for years to come.

The manager further told The Guardian that the concrete crisis could mean pupils are taught in temporary buildings for as long as a decade.

One school in Surrey has been forced to introduce festival-style toilets following the closure of its toilet blocks, and at least 50 local authority-maintained schools across Essex are reported to have Raac.

NHS to continue ‘current approach’ to monitoring risks as 34 hospitals across England thought to use Raac planks

Friday 1 September 2023 13:40 , Eleanor Noyce

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the NHS will continue its “current approach” of monitoring and mitigating risks.

“The NHS has a mitigation plan in place for hospital buildings with confirmed Raac, backed with significant additional funding of £698 million from 2021 to 2025, for trusts to put in place necessary remediation and failsafe measures.

“We remain committed to eradicating Raac from the NHS estate entirely by 2035.

“Additionally, we have announced that the seven most affected NHS hospitals will be replaced by 2030 through our New Hospital Programme.

“The technical advice received from the NHS is that the current approach to monitoring and mitigation remains appropriate.”

In recent days, the Department for Education (DfE) has told 104 schools they must partially or fully close buildings as pupils prepare to return after the summer holidays due to the presence of Raac.

Hospitals are safe, schools minister says

Friday 1 September 2023 13:30 , Eleanor Noyce

When asked by the BBC if hospitals are safe, schools minister Nick Gibb said: “Yes, they are. Hospitals are very large buildings. They have big and expert maintenance teams in those hospitals.

“They can use propping, and they are using propping so they can move patients from one ward to the other.

“It’s a very different estate from the school estate.”

Raac planks are thought to be present in 34 hospitals’ buildings in England.

The government launched its New Hospitals Programme in 2020 pledging to build 40 new hospitals by 2030.

However, a report by the public spending watchdog in July said it is on track to break a key promise in the blueprint.

The National Audit Office (NAO) found delays in projects mean the target is not likely to be met.

By the watchdog’s analysis, 32 hospitals in England classed as new by the definition the government first used are set to be completed in 2030.

Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, added: “Trusts that missed out on additional capital funding following the recent New Hospital Programme announcement still need major investment to overhaul ageing estates, and to address other infrastructure risks that can compromise patient and staff safety.”

All trusts should have funding to remove unsafe concrete, health chief says

Friday 1 September 2023 13:18 , Eleanor Noyce

All NHS trusts should have access to the necessary funding to replace concrete that has been deemed unsafe “as soon as possible”, a health chief has said.

The government has committed to rebuilding seven hospitals most affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) by 2030. The lightweight material was used in public buildings from the 1950s up to the mid-1990s, but is now assessed to be at risk of collapse.

Earlier this year, NHS Providers published a report calling for the “long-neglected” NHS estate in England to be brought “into the 21st century”. It also described Raac as presenting a “major and unjustifiable safety risk”.

The government said it “remains committed” to eradicating Raac from the NHS estate by 2035.

Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, said the organisation “welcomed” recent government action, but called for all trusts to have access to cash to replace Raac where necessary.

“We welcomed recent government action to replace dangerous, crumbling old concrete blocks in ceilings and walls by ensuring the seven trusts with the most critical Raac risk will be replaced by 2030,” he added.

“The government has made a commitment that the remaining Raac risk will be removed from the NHS estate by 2035.

“However, it is vital that all trusts can access the necessary capital funding to replace these concrete planks as soon as possible.”

Liberal Democrats call on ministers to ‘come clean’ on number of schools impacted by ‘crumbling concrete'

Friday 1 September 2023 13:07 , Eleanor Noyce

The Liberal Democrats have called on ministers to “come clean on how many schools are affected by crumbling concrete”.

104 schools have been told to close buildings because they are at risk of collapse due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). However, a list of schools affected has not been made available by the Department for Education.

Lib Dem education spokesman Munira Wilson said parents across the country “will want to be reassured that they are not sending their child back to school in an unsafe building that may collapse”.

She said: “Ministers must release information about each and every school that has been affected so far, and also set out a timetable to complete inspections on all other schools suspected to have RAAC.”

Calls for government to protect children’s free school meals in face of ‘Aero’ concrete closures

Friday 1 September 2023 13:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The government has been urged to “do everything possible” to ensure that eligible children continue to receive free meals at schools affected by the discovery of collapse-prone concrete.

More than 100 schools and colleges have been advised to at least partially close buildings containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) after several incidents this summer sparked concern, inluding a beam collapsing without warning on school premises, schools minister Nick Gibb said.

The Department for Education has said that a “minority” will need to “either fully or partially relocate” to alternative accommodation while safety measures are installed.

Essex Council says disruption to local authority schools ‘is minimal'

Friday 1 September 2023 12:41 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Essex Council has said: “Disruption to local authority schools is minimal. We anticipate one local authority school will be affected. We will not be naming schools impacted this time. Parents and carers of schools affected will hear directly from their school if affected.

“Approximately 50 schools (local authority and academies) in Essex have known RAAC. However due to systems already in place at the majority of these schools most will be able to open as usual when term begins.”

How much do temporary learning cabins cost?

Friday 1 September 2023 12:38 , Holly Evans

Leading providers explained that the cost of a cabin varies, as it usually requires workers to set the foundations, build teaching walls, data points, disability facilities and ensure the building is connected to the school network.

On average, a double classroom modular building with toilets at the centre costs £175,000 to purchase and an estimated £750 per week on a 2-year hiring contract.

Of the six providers The Independent spoke to, all stated that their prices would remain fixed and would not be increased due to supplier demand.

“Any company that is reputable and worth their salt will keep their prices as they are,” one said.

Meanwhile, others including Pickerings Hire, said they would be providing information to affected schools to state that they currently have available units for use.

Chairman of temporary modular buildings ‘in constant contact’ with DfE

Friday 1 September 2023 12:21 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

David Wernick, the chairman of one of the largest providers of permanent and temporary modular buildings, told The Independent that his industry had been “involved” with the DfE for a number of years regarding this issue.

He noted that his company Wernick had not “specifically” seen an increase due to the dangers posed by RAAC but that they were providing buildings “all the time” to schools.

“We are in constant contact with the DfE and independent schools. Clearly as the news would indicate, the DfE is working as hard as they can to resolve this issue.”

Asked if there was a prospect of profiteering, Mr Wernick said: “Absolutely not. We are on a framework agreement with the government and we will be providing accommodation as required within those frameworks.

“The Department of Education works very diligently to ensure they get competitive and fair rates.”

52 out of 156 schools were ‘critical’ and at risk of ‘sudden collapse'

Friday 1 September 2023 12:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Of 156 schools, 52 were deemed critical and at risk of sudden collapse due to dangerous concrete, the schools minister has said.

Safety measures have since been placed at those schools.

Asked on BBC Breakfast whether buildings at those 52 schools “could have potentially collapsed”, Mr Gibb said: “Yes, and that’s why we took action.”

Labour accuses Gove of starting ‘neglect’ of schools that led to collapsing building crisis

Friday 1 September 2023 11:32 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Labour has accused Michael Gove of starting the “neglect” of schools that led to collapsing concrete crisis.

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson slammed Mr Gove’s decision to scrap the last Labour government’s school building programme, saying it was “the death knell of ambition for our children”.

The move was “the first sign of the neglect that was to come”, she writes in an article for the Independent in which she also accuses ministers of having “no strategy” to ensure school sites are “up to scratch”.

Kate Devlin reports:

Labour accuses Gove of starting schools ‘neglect’ that led to building crisis

Disruption to schools could continue until 2025, parents warned

Friday 1 September 2023 11:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Disruption to schools by RAAC could continue until 2025, parents have now been warned.

Patrick Moore’s daughter attends Crossflats Primary School in Bradford, one of the schools affected by the concrete collapse risk.

He said parents were emailed “48 hours ago” to say RAAC was found in some parts of the school’s building, but the headteacher said the school would reopen as “normal” next week.

Rather than close the whole school, only parts of the buiding will be off-limits.

“They are losing some computer rooms and cooking facilities, we’ve been told,” he told Sky News, “so they’ll set up terrapins on some of the playing fields.”

One parent has told Sky they were warned “disruption will continue until 2025, or they may have to go to a new location altogether”.

Minister admits more schools may have to shut over concrete fears - but refuses to publish list

Friday 1 September 2023 10:37 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Parents are still in the dark over school closures as the minister in charge admitted even more could be shut over crumbling concrete fears.

Schools minister Nick Gibb said not all 104 schools which will be forced to close have been told - meaning some parents do not yet know whether their children will return as planned after the summer break.

In a shocking admission, Mr Gibb said only the “vast majority” of schools had been informed they would have to close.

“We have been calling them yesterday, but there are a few more that we’re calling today, and those schools are now talking to parents about what’s going to happen in their school,” he told the BBC.

More schools could be told to close classrooms

Friday 1 September 2023 10:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Further schools could be told they need to shut classrooms because they are fitted with a concrete that could suddenly collapse, the schools minister has admitted.

The Department for Education (DfE) has told 104 schools and colleges to partially or fully close buildings just as pupils prepared to return after the summer holidays.

But Nick Gibb conceded that more schools could be told to make closures as evidence-gathering continues over the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

“There may be more after that as these questionnaires continue to be surveyed and we continue to do more surveying work,” he told GB News.

But Mr Gibb insisted that pupils and parents should not be apprehensive about the risk during the wait for the results.

“No, they shouldn’t worry,” he said. “That’s a very cautious approach, so parents can be confident that if they’ve not been contacted by their school it is safe to send children back into school.”

Labour urging government to publish full list of schools

Friday 1 September 2023 09:24 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Steve Reed MP said Labour are calling on the government to “publish a list of the schools that are affected so parents can see.”

Three schools in Leicester affected by RAAC

Friday 1 September 2023 09:07 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A Leicester city council spokesman said: “Three schools in Leicester have been told that they have buildings affected by RAAC and that those buildings need to be taken out of use.

“In the case of Parks Primary and Mayflower Primary School, which are both local authority-maintained schools, this notification came before the summer holidays, and we worked very closely with them to arrange alternative accommodation in order to ensure in-person teaching was able to continue as quickly as possible.

“Yesterday (Thursday) the DfE has also identified Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy as having buildings which need to be taken out of use. While it is an academy-run school, we will be working with the trust to offer support and advice to try to minimise disruption to pupils.”

‘Vast majority’ of schools informed- but some have not

Friday 1 September 2023 08:48 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

On whether all schools affected have now been informed, schools minister Nick Gibb said: “The vast majority have. We have been calling them yesterday, but there are a few more that we’re calling today, and those schools are now talking to parents about what’s going to happen in their school.”

Mr Gibb also said the government will release a list of the schools in “due course”.

Government will cover ‘all capital costs’ over disruptions from school concrete fears

Friday 1 September 2023 08:42 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The government will cover “all capital costs” over disruption to educational building from the use of a type of concrete prone to collapse, the schools minister has said.

Asked on Sky News who will pay if schools need to either fully or partially relocate, Nick Gibb said: “We will pay for that. We’ve made it very clear we will cover all capital costs.

“So if in the worst-case scenario, we need portacabins in the school estate for an alternative accommodation, we will cover all those costs.

“So there has been some speculation that we won’t cover those costs. We absolutely will.”

What is RAAC concrete? How to tell if school buildings are at risk of collapse

Friday 1 September 2023 08:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) is a lightweight form of concrete that was used in schools, colleges and other building construction from the 1950s until the mid-1990s, according to a government website.

It is made from a combination of cement, lime, water, and an aeration agent. The mixture is poured into moulds and then subjected to high pressure and heat, known as autoclaving, to create a lightweight, strong, and porous material.

As of 30 August 2023, records show there were 156 educational buildings built with RAAC. Only 56 of these had “mitigations” in place, meaning engineers had deemed sites were not a risk due to areas being closed down or reinforced with other materials.

The concrete is aerated and “bubbly”, contains no “coarse aggregate” and is less dense than traditional concrete, being around a third of the weight, according to a building consultancy.

This means it is more prone to collapse over time. In 2018, it was flagged as a safety risk after a school roof collapsed in Kent.

What is RAAC concrete? How to tell if school buildings are at risk of collapse

Eight schools at risk in Harwich and North Essex ‘than any other constituency,’ MP says

Friday 1 September 2023 08:17 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Conservative MP Sir Bernard Jenkin said he had been “advised that more schools could be affected in Harwich and North Essex than any other constituency” as eight schools are at risk of collapsing.

He told the BBC: “I was quite staggered. I had no idea the problem was so widespread and so concentrated in Essex.

“I’m extremely exercised by this and I’m making sure that schools are aware they can use me to press the Department of Education (DfE) for the support they need.”

Seven hospitals being rebuild due to RAAC issues

Friday 1 September 2023 08:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The government is rebuilding seven hospitals due to issues related to “extensive RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete)”, the schools minister has said.

Asked on BBC Breakfast if other public buildings could be affected by that type of building material used between the 1950s and the mid-1990s, Nick Gibb 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.”

Schools left with ‘very little time’ to make arrangements

Friday 1 September 2023 07:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Cllr Kevin Bentley, Senior Vice-Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “Leaving this announcement until near the end of the summer holidays, rather than at the beginning, has left schools and councils with very little time to make urgent rearrangements and minimise disruption to classroom learning.

“The LGA has been warning of the risk from RAAC in schools since 2018. The Government should urgently establish a taskforce, including with the LGA and councils to ensure the safety of both pupils and staff in the long term.

“Councils will be supporting schools in their areas who have had to close affected buildings, including by providing alternative spaces. The Government should also provide councils with the necessary funding and technical expertise to repair or replace those buildings with RAAC.

“The Government also needs to provide councils with financial support where they are supporting other schools, such as academies and faith schools, which have had to close buildings due to the presence of RAAC.

“This includes our call for a single, local funding pot to replace the existing fragmented system for school capital projects and for this to sit with councils, who should have the power to determine how and where this is best spent in their local areas.

“Councils will now work fast to ensure children’s education is disrupted as little as possible.”

More schools could be impacted, minister warns

Friday 1 September 2023 07:36 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

More schools could be impacted by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), the schools minister has said.

Nick Gibb told GB News: “We are putting large amounts of capital into the school estate to improve the condition and, by the way, RAAC applies only in the period (between) the 1950s and the 1990s, so schools built or extended before that period or afterwards - which is about half the school estate - will not even need to consider whether they have RAAC.

“The issue is any extensions or schools built in that period, and that’s where we’ve been focusing our surveys and evidence-gathering since 2022, so we know where RAAC is in the school estate.

“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.”

Asked if parents should worry during the wait for more survey results, Mr Gibb said: “No, they shouldn’t worry.

“Parents will be informed by the school. We were speaking to schools yesterday, some more today, and then schools are telling parents what action they are taking.”

Fresh evidence emerged about buildings at risk over summer, schools minister says

Friday 1 September 2023 07:22 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The schools minister has said fresh evidence has come to light regarding the structural integrity of buildings in the United Kingdom, extending beyond schools.

Nick Gibb told GB News why school buildings were being closed so close to the start of term.

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.

“So we took the decision that the previous policy, which was to take buildings out of use if the RAAC was considered to be in a critical state, we changed that policy yesterday so that any RAAC identified in schools, now those buildings will be taken out of use.

“And we are supporting the 156 schools where this is a situation to find alternative accommodation for students.”

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.”

Unison union say issue could be just ‘tip of the iceberg'

Friday 1 September 2023 07:13 , Shweta Sharma

The Unison union’s head of education Mike Short welcomed the development but said the last-minute preparations are causing chaos for thousands of families.

“Parents, pupils and staff will be relieved the issue is finally being taken seriously,” he said.

He raised fears that there could be more issues with the buildings’ structures.

“But to wait until the eleventh hour as schools are prepare for a new academic year will create turmoil for thousands of families. And this could just be the tip of the iceberg.”

Parents told ‘don’t worry’ as schools forced to close over crumbling concrete

Friday 1 September 2023 07:04 , Shweta Sharma

Parents have been told not to “worry” as schools across the country have been forced to close over crumbling concrete.

More than 100 schools across England have been told to close classrooms and buildings with immediate effect over health and safety fears, with thousands of pupils at risk of a tumultuous start to the new school year.

Known as reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), the lightweight material in question was used in schools, colleges and other buildings between the 1950s and the mid-1990s, but has since been found to be at risk of collapse.

Parents told 'don't worry' as schools forced to close over crumbling concrete

Who will pay for the school repairs?

Friday 1 September 2023 06:51 , Shweta Sharma

The order to shut down around 104 schools, school nurseries and colleges because of safety concerns has sparked several questions.

The Department of Education has told the schools that they will have to fund their own emergency accommodation.

The department said a “minority” will need to “either fully or partially relocate” to alternative accommodation while safety measures are installed.

It said funding will only be provided for works that are “capital funded” and schools will have to pay for rental costs for emergency or temporary accommodation.

“We have allocated over £15bn since 2015 to support this work, including £1.8bn committed for 2023-24. On top of this, we’re transforming 500 schools through our School Rebuilding Programme,” the department said.

Space in nearby schools, community centres or in an “empty local office building” was recommended for the “first few weeks” while buildings are secured with structural supports.

Schools were told moving to pandemic-style remote education should only be considered as a “last resort and for a short period”.

What is RAAC concrete? How to tell if school buildings are at risk of collapse

Friday 1 September 2023 06:37 , Shweta Sharma

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) is a lightweight form of concrete that was used in schools, colleges and other building construction from the 1950s until the mid-1990s, according to a government website.

It is made from a combination of cement, lime, water, and an aeration agent. The mixture is poured into moulds and then subjected to high pressure and heat, known as autoclaving, to create a lightweight, strong, and porous material.

What is RAAC concrete? How to tell if school buildings are at risk of collapse

Bradford schools lose teaching spaces and kitchen over aerated concrete

Friday 1 September 2023 06:21 , Shweta Sharma

Two schools in Bradford lost teaching spaces, staffing facilities and a kitchen after the government ordered closures over a concrete prone to collapse.

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was detected in Crossflatts Primary School and Eldwick Primary School in West Yorkshire city.

Both interim and long-term alteration works are being carried out to ensure children can be accommodated on the two sites, according to Bradford Council.

“At least eight teaching spaces across both sites have been lost, alongside other staffing facilities across both sites and the loss of the kitchen at Crossflatts,” it said.

Access to areas of the schools where RAAC is present is “prohibited” and only “qualified concrete specialists” will be allowed to enter those spaces.

Which schools are closing due to safety fears?

Friday 1 September 2023 06:12 , Shweta Sharma

Education secretary Gillian Keegan has said the government will soon publish a list of schools affected but did not say when.

So far, following are the schools that have been suggested to be affected according to the parents and school staff

• Ferryhill School in County Durham - the secondary school is said to have a delayed start to new academic year, according to an email sent to parents. They are expected to start a week late with rest of the classes being taken online

• Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy in Leicester - Parents have been told to send their children to two different schools and older pupils were asked for home schooling.

• Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School in Brixton, south London - the school said in a statement the juniors will be relocated to a nearby area.

• Crossflats Primary school in Bradford - the school has been partially closed according to Bradford Council.

• Eldwick Primary School in Bradford - Bradford Council confirmed the school will be partially closed.

The timing of this could not be worse, union say

Friday 1 September 2023 05:38 , Shweta Sharma

The general secretary of school leaders union NAHT the “timing of this couldn’t be worse” and it is shocking, but not hugely surprising.

“What we are seeing here are the very real consequences of a decade of swingeing cuts to spending on school buildings,” he said.

“The government is right to put the safety of pupils and staff first - if the safety of buildings cannot be guaranteed, there is no choice but to close them so urgent building work can take place.

“But there is no escaping the fact that the timing of this couldn’t be worse, with children due to return from the summer holidays next week”, he adds.

Education Secretary asks parents to ‘not worry'

Friday 1 September 2023 05:23 , Shweta Sharma

The parents should not worry as the government is working to minimise the issue of school closure, said education secretary Gillian Keegan.

“Most parents should not be worried about this at all,” she said.

We’ve been working on this a lot, in great detail. We will identify the schools, we will have the teams of people, we’ll be making sure that we minimise this as much as possible and the school will be in touch.

“It’s 156 out of our 22,000 schools, so for most people, you won’t be affected.”

She said it is a “cautious approach”, adding that “over the summer a couple of cases have given us cause for concern”.

Ministers urged to name schools and scale of issue in schools

Friday 1 September 2023 05:04 , Shweta Sharma

Calls have been made for government officials to be transparent regarding the extent of challenges confronting school buildings in England, as numerous students experienced a disrupted beginning of the term.

As the new academic year commenced and students returned from their summer breaks, over 100 schools and colleges found themselves compelled to either partially or fully close their premises over safety issues.

The DfE has not named the 104 education facilities that have been told to shut buildings with RAAC.

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “We haven’t seen the full list of schools affected. We don’t know where they are, ministers should come clean with parents and set out the full scale of the challenge that we’re facing.”

Thousands of pupils to start term from home as 100 schools warned of building collapse

Friday 1 September 2023 04:46 , Shweta Sharma

More than 100 schools in England have been told to immediately close classrooms and buildings over safety fears, plunging the annual back to school rush into chaos for many.

Thousands of pupils now risk having to start the year taking lessons online or in temporary accommodation.

Ministers were accused of “incompetence” after the order – which will see some schools forced to shut completely – was issued just days before schools reopen next week after the summer break.

The number of schools affected could still rise as newly issued government guidance set out plans to survey all schools suspected of suffering similar problems within “weeks”.

Thousands to start term from home as 100 schools warned of building collapse

700,000 pupils in schools that require urgent safety measures, watchdog says

Friday 1 September 2023 04:44 , Shweta Sharma

A UK watchdog estimated there are 700,000 pupils learning in schools that required major rebuilding or refurbishment amid concerns over safety risks due to structures prone to collapse.

The Department for Education (DfE) has said that more than 103 educational institutions were told to partially or fully close buildings because of fears over concrete which could suddenly collapse.

It comes as children were preparing to return to classes after the summer holidays.

Guidance issued to schools said they should find emergency or temporary accommodation for the “first few weeks” until buildings are made safe with structural supports.

Space in nearby schools or space in community centres or an “empty local office building” was recommended.

They were told that moving to pandemic-style remote education should only be considered as a “last resort and for a short period”.

Friday 1 September 2023 04:23 , Shweta Sharma

Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of English education institutions affected by closures on Friday.