Schools concrete crisis: Starmer attacks Sunak’s Tory ‘cowboys’ as full list of closures revealed

Sir Keir Starmer has blamed the crumbling concrete crisis on “cutting corners” and “sticking plaster politics” as he grilled the prime minister in PMQs today.

The Labour leader: “It’s the sort thing you expect from cowboy builders saying everyone else is wrong, everyone is to blame, protesting that they’re doing an effing good job even if the ceiling falls in – except in this case the cowboys are running this country.”

He added: “Isn’t he ashamed that after 13 years children are cowering under steel supports, stopping their classroom roof falling in.”

Rishi Sunak said he was not sorry for the decision to close around 100 of the 156 schools with Raac, saying he would “make no apology for acting decisively in the light of new information”.

It comes as the Department for Education has published a full list of the schools affected with Raac in England.

Are you a parent whose child has been affected by RAAC closures? E-mail alexander.butler@independent.co.uk

Key Points

• Starmer attacks Sunak’s Tory ‘cowboys’ amid concrete crisis

• Sunak ‘makes no apology’ for Raac decisions

• Headteachers angrily accuse Sunak of ‘dumping’ them in crumbling concrete fiasco

• 13 schools with crumbling concrete RAAC had repair work scrapped by Tories

• The full list of schools affected by Raac concrete

20:02 , Katy Clifton

Thanks for following our live blog, we’re pausing our coverage for the evening but come back tomorrow for more updates.

ICYMI: Seven questions from parents answered by experts

19:25 , Katy Clifton

As schools return for a new year this week, hundreds have been caught up in a concrete crisis.

During an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session for The Independent, Schools Week editor John Dickens tackled a wide range of questions from parents worried about their child’s school.

Take a look at the Q&A below:

7 school closure questions from parents answered by an education expert

Concrete crisis threatens pledge to cut NHS backlog

18:47 , Rebecca Thomas

Rishi Sunak’s pledge to cut the NHS waiting list backlog is being threatened by the crumbling concrete crisis as affected hospitals warn they will be forced to shut wards and theatres.

Hospitals were told they had buildings prone to collapse in 2019 but four years later they are still dealing with the issue.

In a report last year, West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust leaders said that work to replace Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (Raac) in its hospitals would hit general surgery, urology, gynaecology and orthopaedic care.

Wards have had to close, piling pressure on a crowded A&E as patients can’t be offloaded due to lack of beds, and threatening its ability to hit government targets to reduce waiting lists, it added.

Read more below:

‘Cowboy’ Rishi hit by new concrete crisis as it threatens pledge to cut NHS backlog

Keegan defends refusal

18:10 , Sam Rkaina

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan told MPs that it would be “inaccurate, incomplete, and inappropriate to disclose the details requested of the sensitive negotiations between His Majesty’s Treasury and individual Government departments”.

She added: “Inaccurate because it would only show part of the picture of a complex decision-making process that takes place between multiple departments, multiple ministers, officials and other individuals with varying priorities.

“Incomplete because such a process has to look across the board at priorities and trade-offs for all Government departments to ensure we can deliver for everyone, yet this motion focuses on only one.

“Inappropriate because it would be categorically in breach of the longstanding tradition and expectation of confidential and often commercially sensitive information not being disclosed into the public domain, and of allowing officials to give full and frank advice to ministers.”

Ministers refuse to hand over written advice on crumbling schools

17:46 , Sam Rkaina

Ministers have refused to heed Labour’s calls to hand over written advice the Prime Minister was given about crumbling concrete in schools while he was chancellor.

Rishi Sunak has become embroiled in the row about reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) after suggestions that he approved 50 schools to be rebuilt a year when he was chancellor, rejecting an application for 200 to be given the same treatment.

Concerns over the safety of Raac has caused more than 100 schools across England to be partially or fully closed.

Labour used their opportunity to lead a Commons debate on Wednesday to demand the publication of evidence sent by the Department for Education (DfE) to both No 10 and the Treasury relating to the crisis.

It also pushed for the release of all related correspondence ahead of the 2020 and 2021 spending reviews and the 2022 spring and autumn statements to show what advice Mr Sunak was given as chancellor about the need to replace Raac.

Starmer: Sunak’s champagne Tories put bubbly tax cut ahead of bubbly concrete

15:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Keir Starmer has accused Rishi Sunak of putting champagne drinkers ahead of school safety by cutting the budget for rebuilding classrooms while slashing duty on bubbly.

Ahead of a showdown with the prime minister in the Commons later the Labour leader highlighted Mr Sunak’s decision to slash investment in the school estate while reducing duty on sparkling wine.

“These are choices. [Sunak] didn’t say, ‘Well, I can’t do that in relation to champagne’. He took a choice to cut the rate in relation to champagne and not to sign off the necessary funding for school,” Sir Keir told BBC News.

Starmer says Sunak put champagne tax cut ahead of school safety

Decision to spend £34 million revamping offices ‘nothing to do with me,’ Keegan says

15:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The decision to spend £34 million to revamp the Department for Education’s headquarters had “nothing to do with me”, the education secretary has said.

Labour’s Sarah Owen (Luton North) earlier told the Commons Gillian Keegan had to “get a grip and explain why her offices got a £34 million refurbishment when schools are crumbling under this Tory government”.

Responding to the opposition day debate, Gillian Keegan later said: “£34 million is a government building for the Department for Education that was signed off by the commercial director for the Department for Education, nothing to do with me, based on a decision made in 2019 before I was a minister.”

Some schools with crumbling concrete may have to be demolished, experts warn

15:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Some of the English schools found to have the crumbling concrete may have to be demolished if repairs become too expensive, experts have told The Independent.

Rishi Sunak’s government – under fire over years of “underinvestment” in school repair work – has been told it could be more cost effective to write off some of the older affected schools and build new ones.

Asbestos problems in some of the 147 schools identified as having reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) – the problem material compared to an “Aero bar” – could complicate remedial work, said building specialists.

Some schools with crumbling concrete may have to be demolished, experts warn

No 10: ‘No specific timeline’ for resolution to crisis

14:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The government will not publish a submission from the Department for Education (DfE) to the Treasury asking for money to deal with the crumbling concrete crisis blighting schools.

Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman cited a “long-standing approach” to not publish official advice to ministers, saying he would not release the submission.

Former DfE permanent secretary Jonathan Slater said this week a submission to the Treasury before a 2021 spending review to rebuild 200 schools a year was turned down despite warnings of a “critical risk to life”.

Asked about when schools which have been affected by the crumbling Raac concrete, the PM’s spokesman said the government “can not put a specific timeline on it”.

In the schools identified as hit by the problem, mitigations will be in place “in a matter of weeks”, but there “are still some outstanding surveys”.

One in 20 schools sent surveys to identify Raac by the DfE have not responded, the spokesman confirmed.

School Raac concrete crisis: 7 questions from parents answered by expert as government list affected schools

14:24 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Schools Week editor John Dickens tackled questions on homeschooling, further closures, contingency plans and more:

7 school closure questions from parents answered by an education expert

Safety of pupils and staff is ‘priority’- Gillian Keegan

14:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

In a written statement, education secretary Gillian Keegan, said: “I know this is the last way parents, teachers and children affected by this wanted to begin the new term, but it will always be my priority to ensure the safety of pupils and staff.

“Thanks to the hard work of schools, colleges, councils, diocese and academy trusts, the majority of settings where Raac has been confirmed have opened to all pupils for the start of term.

“We will continue to support all impacted settings in whatever way we can, whether that’s through our team of dedicated caseworkers or through capital funding to put mitigations in place.

“We are also expediting surveys and urging all responsible bodies to tell us what they know about Raac, so we can be confident that settings are safe and supported.”

PM promises new funding to schools to deal with concrete issues

13:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Prime minister Rishi Sunak offered assurances that new funding will be provided for schools with concrete at risk of collapse.

He was responding to Conservative former cabinet minister Priti Patel who asked at Prime Minister’s Questions: “Can he try to commit... to fully funding both the capital and revenue costs that are associated with getting children back into school.”

Mr Sunak said: “I am to give her the reassurance as the Chancellor already said, new funding will be provided to schools to deal with this issue.

“But also to ensure that we can get through this as quickly as possible for her constituents and parents and indeed everyone’s, DfE (Department for Education) are in the process of increasing the number of dedicated caseworkers from 50 to 80.

“We have 35 project directions regionally on the ground to support, and we’ve increased the number of survey firms by more than double so that we can rapidly over the next few weeks fully assess all the relevant schools and have a mitigation plan in place.”

Starmer: ‘Gillian Keegan’s £34m Whitehall office makeover shows reality of uncaring Tories’

13:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The £34m revamp of education secretary Gillian Keegan’s offices shows that the Tories don’t care about spending enough to fix collapsing schools, said Sir Keir Starmer.

The Labour leader used PMQs to savage Rishi Sunak’s government over the crumbling concrete crisis – arguing that “the cowboys are running the country”.

Ms Keegan told Sky News earlier this week she “didn’t know” £34m was being spent on the departmental refurb and insisted she “wasn’t involved”.

But Sir Keir – highlighting the extravagant spending as ministers come under fire over “underinvestment” in schools – said it had her “personal stamp of approval”.

Adam Forrest has more:

Starmer: ‘Gillian Keegan’s £34m office makeover shows reality of uncaring Tories’

Starmer: Sunak’s champagne Tories put bubbly tax cut ahead of bubbly concrete

13:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Keir Starmer has accused Rishi Sunak of putting champagne drinkers ahead of school safety by cutting the budget for rebuilding classrooms while slashing duty on bubbly.

Ahead of a showdown with the prime minister in the Commons later the Labour leader highlighted Mr Sunak’s decision to slash investment in the school estate while reducing duty on sparkling wine.

“These are choices. [Sunak] didn’t say, ‘Well, I can’t do that in relation to champagne’. He took a choice to cut the rate in relation to champagne and not to sign off the necessary funding for school,” Sir Keir told BBC News.

Starmer says Sunak put champagne tax cut ahead of school safety

Gillian Keegan’s department ‘gave £1m from schools rebuilding pot to company linked to husband’

12:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Education secretary Gillian Keegan has “serious questions to answer”, said Labour after it emerged that a company linked to her husband was handed a £1m contract from a schools rebuilding fund.

The cabinet minister’s husband Michael Keegan states on his LinkedIn social media page that he is a non-executive director at technology firm Centerprise.

The company was one of six suppliers awarded IT contracts earlier this year to replace server infrastructure at schools – with the money coming from the school rebuilding programme fund, according to the Daily Mirror.

Adam Forrest reports:

Gillian Keegan’s department ‘gave £1m to firm linked to husband’

The full list of schools affected by Raac concrete

12:48 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The government has published the full list of schools so far identified to be affected by Raac concrete.

The list, published just 30 minutes before Rishi Sunak faced the Commons, includes 147 schools so far.

But the number of buildings is expected to swell as more assessments are coming out.

See the full list here:

The full list of schools affected by Raac concrete

Sunak says Labour’s school rebuilding programme is ‘time-consuming and expensive'

12:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Rishi Sunak has branded Labour’s school rebuilding programme as “time-consuming and expensive”.

His comments came after Sir Keir Starmer asked him in the Commons: “Carmel College in Darlington was on the Labour’s building list in 2010. They scrapped it and now children there are in a crumbling school.

“And on the one hand, we have him saying it’s nothing to do with him, on the other side, we have the facts and there is a simple way to clear this up: why doesn’t he commit to publish the requests from the Department of Education for the school rebuilding programme and what risks he was warned of before he turned them down?”

The Prime Minister replied: “He has now brought up twice the Labour schools rebuilding programme. So let’s just look at that and look at the facts surrounding that because we do know the truth about that programme because the NAO (National Audit Office)... actually reviewed that programme later on, what did they find? They found that Labour school rebuilding programme actually excluded 80% of schools.”

The Prime Minister went on to say the NAO also found the programme was “a third more expensive than it needed to be” and “only allocated funds solely on the basis of ideology with no regard whatsoever to the physical condition of schools”.

He added: “That’s why the independent James review described that programme as time-consuming and expensive, just like the Labour Party.”

Sunak says he understands parents’ concerns but ‘makes no apology’ for Raac decisions

12:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Rishi Sunak said he was not sorry for the decision to close around 100 of the 156 schools with Raac.

The PM said he would “make no apology for acting decisively in the light of new information”.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “The roof of Singlewell Primary School in Gravesend collapsed in May 2018. Thankfully it happened at the weekend and no children were injured. The concrete ceiling was deemed dangerous and liable to collapse, and everyone knew the problem existed in other schools.

“Yet the prime minister decided to halve the budget for school maintenance just a couple of years later. Does he agree with his Education Secretary (Gillian Keegan) that he should be thanked for doing a good job?”

Mr Sunak said: “I know how concerned parents, children and teachers are, and I want to start by assuring them that the government is doing everything it can to fix this quickly and minimise the disruption to children’s education.

“We make no apology for acting decisively in the face of new information... Of the 22,000 schools in England the vast, vast majority won’t be affected. In fact, in two-thirds of inspections of suspected schools, Raac is not actually present.”

Watch: ‘We make no apology for acting decisively’- Sunak responds to RAAC criticism

12:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said “we make no apology for acting decisively in the face of new information” as he faced criticism about reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) in schools at Prime Minister’s Questions.

‘List took too long to publish’- Lib Dems

12:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Munira Wilson said: “The Conservative government should never have taken this long to publish this list, while parents were plunged into uncertainty over whether their child’s school is safe.

“Rishi Sunak must now come clean over his own role in this crisis and publish the full evidence that officials provided to him as chancellor on the risks to children’s safety from crumbling school buildings.

“Sunak and his Conservative ministers have ducked responsibility and blamed everyone but themselves for this fiasco.

“Families deserve to know the truth instead of this endless smoke and mirrors.”

Sunak should be ‘ashamed’ that ‘cowboys are running the country’, says Starmer

12:17 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Keir Starmer said the crumbling concrete crisis was the “inevitable result of 13 years of cutting corners, botched jobs and sticking plaster politics”.

The Labour leader said: “It’s the sort thing you expect from cowboy builders saying everyone else is wrong, everyone is to blame, protesting that they’re doing an effing good job even if the ceiling falls in – except in this case the cowboys are running this country.”

He added: “Isn’t he ashamed that after 13 years children are cowering under steel supports, stopping their classroom roof falling in.”

Government acted ‘decisively’ on school concrete crisis

12:14 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The prime minister has insisted that his government has acted “decisively” in the “receipt of new information” regarding the concrete crisis in schools.

It comes as the Department of Education has published a full list of schools affected by Raac in England this afternoon.

‘13 years of botched jobs’ led to crumbling concrete

12:12 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Labour leader said the concrete crisis is “the inevitable result of 13 years of cutting corners” and “botched jobs”.

Sir Keir Starmer said: “It’s the sort of job you would expect from cowboy builders,” adding: “The cowboys are running the country.”

‘Get your facts straight,’ Sunak tells Starmer

12:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Rishi Sunak has responded to Sir Keir Starmer’s challenge that Tory cuts have led to the concrete crisis in schools today.

The prime minister said: “Far from cutting budgets, the amount spent last year was the highest in a decade.

“That spending review maintained the school rebuilding programme.”

Of the Labour leader, the prime minister said: “Before he jumps on the next political bandwagon, he should get his facts straight.”

‘Vast majority of schools not affected’- Sunak

12:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Rishi Sunak has said “the vast majority” of schools will not be affected by Raac as the first questions about the concrete crisis have hit the PM.

PMQs begins

12:04 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The first PMQs in seven weeks has now begun. Stay tuned as we update you with the latest from parliament as Rishi Sunak is grilled about the concrete crisis in schools.

List of schools affected by Raac - continued

12:03 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

·       Winter Gardens Academy

·       Cherry Tree Academy

·       Prince Albert Junior and Infant School

·       Cockermouth School

·       Northampton International Academy

·       St Gregory’s Catholic Science College

·       Bishop Douglass School Finchley

·       Lubbins Park Primary Academy

·       Scalby School

·       Arthur Bugler Primary School

·       St Leonard’s Catholic School, Durham

·       Canon Slade School

·       Claydon High School

·       Harlowbury Primary School

·       Kingsdown School

·       Katherines Primary Academy and Nursery

·       Sir Thomas Boughey Academy

·       Harwich and Dovercourt High School

·       Ferryhill School

·       Wyburns Primary School

·       Jerounds Primary Academy

·       Roding Valley High School

·       Lambourne Primary School

·       Hillhouse CofE Primary School

·       Barnes Farm Junior School

·       St Elizabeth’s Catholic Voluntary Academy

·       Hockley Primary School

·       Chipping Ongar Primary School

·       Langney Primary Academy

·       St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

·       St Mary and St John Junior and Infant School

·       St John Catholic Primary School

·       St Anne’s Catholic Primary School, Harlow Green

·       St Francis’ Catholic Primary School

·       Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School

·       Sunny Bank Primary School

·       St Benet’s Catholic Primary School, Ouston

·       St Bede’s Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College

·       St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School

·       Wells Park School

·       St James’ Catholic Primary School, Hebburn

·       St John Bosco Catholic Primary School, Town End Farm, Sunderland

·       St Columba’s Catholic Primary School, Wallsend

·       St John Vianney Catholic Primary School, West Denton

·       The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy

·       St Michael’s Catholic School

·       Elmstead Primary School

Continued list of schools affected by Raac

12:02 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

·       Holcombe Grammar School

·       The Coopers’ Company and Coborn School

·       Wood Green Academy

·       The Honywood Community Science School

·       The Billericay School

·       Aston Manor Academy

·       Hadleigh High School

·       The Palmer Catholic Academy

·       The London Oratory School

·       Tendring Technology College

·       East Bergholt High School

·       Hounsdown School

·       Thurstable School Sports College and Sixth Form Centre

·       Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School

·       Waddesdon Church of England School

·       Wallingford School

·       Woodkirk Academy

·       Batley Girls High School

·       St Clere’s School

·       Sandbach School

·       Carmel College

·       Anglo European School

·       St Thomas More Catholic School, Blaydon

·       The Gilberd School

·       The Thomas Lord Audley School

·       St Helena School

·       East Tilbury Primary School

·       Clacton County High School

·       White Hall Academy and Nursery

·       Altrincham College

·       Cleeve Park School

·       Joyce Frankland Academy, Newport

·       Danetree Primary School

·       The Bromfords School

·       Royal College Manchester (Seashell Trust)

·       The Ramsey Academy, Halstead

·       Redhill School

·       Ark Boulton Academy

·       Woodville Primary School

·       Holy Trinity Catholic Voluntary Academy

·       Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy

·       Water Lane Primary Academy

·       Katherine Semar Junior School

·       Katherine Semar Infant School

·       Mistley Norman Church of England Primary School

·       Hatfield Heath Primary School

·       St Thomas More Catholic Comprehensive School

·       Godinton Primary School

·       St Francis Catholic Primary School, South Ascot

·       The FitzWimarc School

List with confirmed Raac- part one

11:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Department for Education has published a list of the schools and colleges in England affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

Here are the first 50:

1.       Myatt Garden Primary School

2.       Seven Mills Primary School

3.       The Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls

4.       St Ignatius College

5.       Welbourne Primary School

6.       St John Vianney RC Primary School

7.       Hornsey School for Girls

8.       Brandhall Primary School

9.       St William of York Catholic Primary School

10.   St Andrew’s CofE Primary School, Over Hulton

11.   All Saints C of E Primary School

12.   Abbey Lane Primary School

13.   Pippins School

14.   Stanway Fiveways Primary School

15.   Baynards Primary School

16.   Great Leighs Primary School

17.   Henham and Ugley Primary and Nursery School

18.   Bentfield Primary School and Nursery

19.   White Court School

20.   Beehive Lane Community Primary School

21.   Eversley Primary School

22.   Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, Eight Ash Green and Aldham

23.   St Lawrence Church of England Primary School, Rowhedge

24.   Great Tey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

25.   Hatfield Peverel St Andrew’s Junior School

26.   Broomfield Primary School

27.   Mersea Island School

28.   Cranbourne

29.   Markyate Village School and Nursery

30.   Widford School

31.   Palmarsh Primary School

32.   Birchington Church of England Primary School

33.   St James’ Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

34.   St Bartholomew’s Catholic Primary School, Swanley

35.   Bispham Endowed Church of England Primary School

36.   Our Lady’s Catholic High School

37.   Mayflower Primary School

38.   Parks Primary School

39.   Donnington Wood Infant School and Nursery Centre

40.   Thurston Community College

41.   Shawfield Primary School

42.   St Paul’s Catholic Primary School, Thames Ditton

43.   Petroc

44.   Park View School

45.   Springfield Primary School

46.   Outwoods Primary School

47.   Denbigh School

48.   Sale Grammar School

49.   The Appleton School

50.   King Ethelbert School

List of Scottish schools with collapse-prone concrete to be published this week

11:48 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Scottish government has already confirmed Raac has been detected in 37 schools in Scotland, but these buildings are not expected to close while a “desk-based review” is conducted over the coming months.

A list of schools in Scotland with collapse-prone reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) will be published by the end of this week, Humza Yousaf said as he vowed to “spend what we need to spend” to ensure affected buildings are safe.

The First Minister conceded the Scottish Government does not have contingency funding available to deal with remedial works.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme on Wednesday, he said: “We don’t have contingencies within the Government to spend on Raac.

“But we will of course spend what we need to spend in order to ensure that our buildings are safe for those that use them.”

Live: Rishi Sunak faces Starmer at PMQs as pressure mounts over school concrete crisis

11:41 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Watch live as Rishi Sunak faces Sir Keir Starmer in PMQs for the first time since parliament returned from its summer break.

The prime minister will come under pressure to declare what he knew about the crumbling concrete crisis in schools as he clashes with the Labour leader in the House of Commons on Wednesday 6 September.

Live: Rishi Sunak faces Starmer at PMQs as pressure mounts over school concrete crisis

Two Kent schools to reopen after being forced to shut for a day

11:33 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Two Kent schools have reopened after being forced to shut for a day amid concerns over the risk of collapsing concrete.

Palmarsh Primary in Hythe was closed completely on Tuesday and St James’ Church of England Primary in Tunbridge Wells was partially closed, due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

The schools received letters from the Department for Education (DfE) ordering all Raac-affected buildings to be vacated immediately, even in cases where they were previously seen as “non-critical”.

Further clarifications and discussions with the DfE led to both schools reopening to pupils on Wednesday.

The announcement came as more than 100 schools have been partially or fully closed due to the issue.

What a nerve! Now Gillian Keegan tells schools to ‘get off their backsides’ to help fix concrete crisis

11:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Under-fire education secretary Gillian Keegan has told school chiefs to “get off their backsides” to help fix the crumbling concrete crisis as The Independent can reveal safety fears have now spread to care homes.

For a second day running Ms Keegan was involved in an extraordinary row over the scandal as the government doubled down on its handling of the issue.

She insisted her department had done an “excellent job” – despite ordering more than 100 schools to fully or partially close just days before the start of the new school year.

But she was accused of “finger pointing” and trying to blame individual schools, while senior Tory MPs warned her job was “in danger”.

Gillian Keegan tells schools to ‘get off their backsides’ to help fix concrete crisis

10:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A number of school chiefs urged to return surveys about crumbling concrete have raised concerns about the “accuracy” of the government’s records.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the Department for Education (DfE) should review its systems to see whether some of the supposedly non-returned Raac survey forms were returned “but have not been recorded as such due to a technical error”.

He said: “We’ve now received six messages directly from trust and school leaders raising concerns about the accuracy of the Department for Education’s records and have heard similar reports from other sources.

“All tell us that they returned their Raac surveys many months ago but on Monday night they received a letter from education minister Baroness Barran effectively threatening to name and shame them if they did not complete the survey by Friday September 8.”

Mr Baron added: “We would urge the Department for Education to review its systems to see whether at least some of these supposedly non-returned survey forms - and possibly a great many - were in fact returned but have not been recorded as such due to a technical error.

“We would also urge ministers to be very careful about pointing the finger of blame.”

Labour would ensure schools are ‘open and safe,’ Starmer says

10:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said that Labour would ensure schools are both “open and safe”, but did not provide the details of what any rebuilding or refurbishing programme would look like under his party.

It came as he visited Park View School in London alongside shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson.

“The immediate problem is obviously the safety of our schools. I can give an assurance that an incoming Labour government would make sure that our schools are both open and safe and the necessary work is done at pace to make sure that that happens,” he told BBC Breakfast.

“Obviously, as we did when we were last in government, we will have a programme for schools. We’ll set out what that future programme is as we get towards the election.

“We would give an assurance that the necessary work would be done.”

Starmer set to grill Sunak in PMQs today

09:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said that he would be grilling Rishi Sunak on the concrete crisis at Prime Minister’s Questions later, adding that prime minister had questions to answer about his time at the Treasury.

He told BBC Breakfast: “He took a decision in 2021. I think the least that we’re entitled to is to know what risks were pointed out to him in 2021 when the Prime Minister took those decisions, and an answer from him as to why he didn’t allow that funding to go forward.

He said that families and school teachers also wanted ministers to publish the list of schools with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) issues.

“Why haven’t you - and you must - publish the list of schools affected? Because we don’t even know the full extent of this.”

Headteachers angrily accuse Sunak of ‘dumping’ them in crumbling concrete fiasco

09:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Headteachers have accused Rishi Sunak’s government of “dumping” the crumbling concrete crisis on them – attacking the Tories for “gleefully” pulling the last Labour government’s rebuilding scheme.

At least 13 of the schools found to have crumbling concrete had funding to rebuild scrapped by the Conservative government back in 2010, it has emerged.

Geoff Barton, head of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said it would take 440 years to fix under Mr Sunak’s plan to rebuild 50 schools a year – noting that it would have been complete by now if started in the time of the Spanish Armada.

Headteachers angrily accuse Sunak of ‘dumping’ them in crumbling concrete fiasco

School rebuilding will take 440 years under Tories, says furious union leader

09:02 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), attacked the Tories “gleeful” decision to pull Labour’s schools rebuilding programme in 2010.

At least 13 of the schools found to have crumbling concrete had funding to rebuild pulled when the Tories ditched the Building Schools for the Future (BSF).

Mr Barton said it shows the government “hasn’t cared about education for many years”.

The union boss told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he had visited a school in Suffolk on the BSF list for planned rebuilding on the day Michael Gove “gleefully” announced that the programme was getting pulled.

Mr Barton said the scrapping of the “important” works programme meant “we’ve got head teachers scrambling around trying to identify bits of concrete that might look like Aero bars when they should be focusing on children’s learning”.

The union leader mocked Mr Sunak’s “proud boast” that he would rebuild 50 schools a year – saying the programme would have to started in the 16th century to have been completed.

“At the rate of rebuilding England’s 22,000 schools at 50 a year, those built in 1583, just before the Spanish Armada, would just about be coming up for a refit.

“Is the government’s view that rebuilding schools over the next 440 years going to be – to quote Gillian Keegan – an effing good job?”

‘Nation’s parents will think government doesn’t care'

08:37 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The concrete crisis in schools “reinforces” for parents that the government does not care about education, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has said.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Geoff Barton said: “I think the nation’s parents will think this just reinforces a sense that we have got a government that frankly doesn’t care, and hasn’t cared about education for many years.

“I actually remember visiting a school in a pretty deprived part of Suffolk, which was on the Building Schools for the Future list on the day that Michael Gove gleefully announced that the programme was being pulled.

“There were all kinds of flaws with that programme: it was expensive and it was overambitious, but it was saying something important, that the nation’s schools needed to be refurbished.

“What we have got today, therefore, is some of those schools’ headteachers scrambling around trying to identify bits of concrete which might look like Aero bars when they should be focusing on children learning and developing.”

No need to shut MoD buildings, says Shapps

08:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

New defence secretary Grant Shapps said officials were still “having a look at the estate” of Ministry of Defence (MoD) buildings for Raac problems.

He told Sky News: “It doesn’t look to us that the accommodation was built in that way and certainly when it comes to service family accommodation, it’s highly unlikely any of that has been affected, which is obviously important.

“And then we’re looking at the rest of the estate but it looks like the kind of thing that we’ll be dealing with in the normal course of business rather than needing to close anything down.”

Mr Shapps also defended the Tory-led coalition government’s decision to scrap Labour’s Building Schools for the Future programme – pointing out other funding puts have replaced the scheme.

“Many of those schools have had other remedial work or building work done in the meantime,” he told Times Radio.

13 schools with crumbling concrete RAAC had repair work scrapped by Tories

08:02 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

At least 13 of the schools found to have crumbling concrete had funding to rebuild pulled by the Conservative government back in 2010, it has emerged.

Rishi Sunak is under huge pressure to declare what he knew about the crisis in schools when he faces Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs for the first time in seven weeks.

Concerns over reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) – a weak material which has been compared to an “Aero bar” – have caused more than 100 schools in England to partially or fully shut.

The Association of School and College Leaders said underinvestment in repairs amounted to a “national scandal”, while the National Education Union described it as “calculated neglect”.

13 schools with crumbling concrete Raac had repair work scrapped by Tories

Shapps continues to defend Tory policy over building work for schools

07:49 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Grant Shapps also defended the Conservative-led coalition government’s decision to scrap the Building Schools for the Future programme.

“We didn’t think it was the right programme to take forward but many of those schools have had other remedial work or building work done in the meantime,” the defence secretary told Times Radio this morning.

“So I don’t think just sticking to what happened to be a previous policy is the answer to what would have still been a problem today.”

Labour to use parliamentary power to find out what PM knew about concrete crisis

07:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Labour has already signalled it will look to use an arcane parliamentary mechanism to discover what Rishi Sunak knew about the crisis during his tenure in the Treasury.

Mr Sunak has faced accusations he slashed the school rebuilding programme in half when he was chancellor, providing funding for 100 crumbling schools to be replaced annually when, according to former Department for Education (DfE) permanent secretary Jonathan Slater, 400 needed revamps.

The prime minister has rejected the attack on his Treasury record.

Sunak to face grilling in PMQs over crumbling concrete in schools

07:28 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Rishi Sunak will face Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister’s Questions for the first time in seven weeks as he comes under pressure to declare what he knew about the crumbling concrete crisis in schools.

The Conservative Party leader has become embroiled in the row after one of his ministers suggested Mr Sunak approved for 50 schools to be rebuilt a year when he was chancellor, rejecting an application for 200 to be given the same treatment.

Concerns over reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) have caused more than 100 schools in England to partially or fully shut.

Mr Sunak is likely to be grilled by the Labour leader on the funding made available to tackle faulty classroom concrete when the two face off on Wednesday for the first time since Parliament returned from its summer break.

Grant Shapps defends government’s messaging on concrete crisis

07:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Grant Shapps defended the government messaging on the concrete crisis in schools, as ministers continue to insist that only a minority of buildings have been affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

The defence secretary told Times Radio: “As a dad I would say the most important thing is that kids should be safe in school, that teachers should be safe in school.

“And if the accusation is ‘haven’t you overreacted by the beginning of term’, when new evidence has come about, jumping on this and making sure that we don’t allow an unsafe situation, which is now where that’s apparent, continue in a small number of schools then sure, absolutely we have definitely acted at the higher end of that.

“But I’d rather do that than have a problem in schools.”

Voices: If anyone sat around on their a*** doing nothing, it was Gillian Keegan

Wednesday 6 September 2023 00:01 , Eleanor Noyce

As an emblem of a government so out of touch that it looks for gratitude for presiding over 13 years of underinvestment that has left us with crumbling schools, we can do no better than Gillian Keegan’s “hot mic” moment, when she asked an ITV News correspondent:

“Does anyone ever say, ‘You know you’ve done a f****** good job because everyone else has sat on their arses and done nothing’. No signs of that, no?”

She has been slapped down by No 10 and made to apologise for her “choice language”, but it wasn’t how she said it but what she said that was so revealing – the apparent offensive sense of entitlement it suddenly illuminated, and in such stark contrast to the ritualistic expressions of concern for pupils and teachers.

The hot mic meltdown revealed the education secretary’s own stunning dereliction of duty – and an offensive sense of entitlement by a pound-store Marie Antoinette, writes Sean O’Grady:

If anyone sat around on their a*** doing nothing, it was Gillian Keegan

Nick Gibb’s awkward reaction as he’s asked about Gillian Keegan’s sweary outburst

Tuesday 5 September 2023 23:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Minister of State for Schools Nick Gibb laughed awkwardly when he was asked about education secretary Gillian Keegan’s sweary outburst in the crumbling concrete scandal.

Mr Gibb was asked by BBC Breakfast presenter Ben Boulos: “Are you as frustrated as your boss Gillian Keegan clearly is? How do you express your frustrations?”

Mr Gibb laughed awkwardly and said: “This was an off the cuff comment. She has apologised for the language used.

“She was frustrated by the questioning. She knows how hard civil servants in the department have been working on this issue since 2018.”

Nick Gibb’s awkward reaction as he’s asked about Gillian Keegan’s sweary outburst

Primary school headteacher reacts to Gillian Keegan’s sweary outburst: ‘I am horrified’

Tuesday 5 September 2023 22:45 , Eleanor Noyce

A primary school headteacher reacted with shock as she was shown Gillian Keegan’s sweary outburst amid the concrete crisis.

The education secretary was caught on a hot mic complaining about not being thanked for doing a “f****** good job” on Monday 4 September.

“I am horrified and disgusted by what I have just seen,” Cas Evans, headteacher at Parks Primary School in Leicester, said.

“Please, Gillian, come and see my school, come and really understand what RAAC looks like, what RAAC is in a school.

“Just come and see what your serving headteachers are doing in order to maintain a good education.”

School headteacher reacts to Gillian Keegan’s sweary outburst: ‘I am horrified’

Roundup of the most notorious hot-mic slip-ups after Gillian Keegan’s sweary outburst

Tuesday 5 September 2023 22:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, is facing criticism after her sweary outburst over the school concrete crisis was caught by a hot mic on Monday 4 September.

In a moment of frustration, she hit out at those who she argued had “sat on their arse and done nothing” and questioned why no one was saying “You’ve done a f****** good job”.

While her outburst piles pressure on Rishi Sunak and the government, Ms Keegan wasn’t the first politician to be caught out by a live microphone - and she certainly won’t be the last.

Here, The Independent takes a look at some of the most famous hot-mic moments from years gone by.

Roundup of the most notorious hot-mic slip-ups after Gillian Keegan’s sweary outburst

Just four schools rebuilt in last two years, government admits as concrete crisis deepens

Tuesday 5 September 2023 21:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Only four schools have been refurbished under the government’s main rebuilding programme, despite Rishi Sunak’s promise it would cover 50 a year.

The PM has been forced to deny claims by a former top civil servant that he had ignored warnings over a “critical risk to life” by cutting repairs funding when he was chancellor.

The government is also reeling from extraordinary outburst by education secretary Gillian Keegan who said others had “sat on their a***” over the crisis and she had done a “f****** good job”.

Adam Forrest reports:

Just four schools rebuilt in last two years, government admits

Editorial: The education secretary seems to have forgotten who’s been in power for 13 years

Tuesday 5 September 2023 21:15 , Eleanor Noyce

One small but telling indicator that the Conservative Party has forgotten how to “do politics” – let alone govern a medium-sized G7 power – is the latest “attack line” deployed on social media by the Department for Education.

Under the catchy tagline “RAAC UPDATE” (ie RAAC scandal), it proudly declares: “MOST SCHOOLS UNAFFECTED”. As the swift Labour response suggested, it’s rather like the mayor of Amity Island putting “Jaws Update” posters up reading “Most beachgoers not eaten by big shark”. Like so much in this grim saga of bungles and botches, the great concrete crisis has given rise to some dark, gallows humour.

Editorial: Gillian Keegan’s response to the school building scandal has added to the grumbler’s lament that ‘nothing works any more’, from crumbling buildings and rail strikes to dirty rivers and NHS waiting lists. Her government must take its share of responsibility:

Editorial: Gillian Keegan seems to have forgotten who’s been in power for 13 years

Gillian Keegan criticised for opening ‘Pandora’s box’ on Raac crisis

Tuesday 5 September 2023 20:46 , Eleanor Noyce

Education secretary Gillian Keegan has been criticised by colleagues for her “unilateral” decision to determine which school buildings need to close following the Raac crisis, Sky News reports.

Ministers fear she has opened a so-called “Pandora’s box” by being overly cautious, a move that could see a range of public buildings impacted, including hospitals and local authority buildings.

“This is suboptimal,” a senior Whitehall figure told Sky News. “She has made a unilateral decision. It’s not been resolved, and it’s a bit of a mess.”

‘Not helpful to resort to finger-pointing’ over Raac, says Confederation of School Trusts

Tuesday 5 September 2023 20:15 , Eleanor Noyce

The Confederation of School Trusts said it was “not helpful now to resort to finger-pointing” following education secretary Gillian Keegan’s comments that school chiefs who have not responded to a survey about crumbling concrete should “get off their backsides” and inform the government if they are affected.

Steve Rollett, deputy chief executive of the membership organisation and sector body for school trusts, said: “The vast majority of trusts submitted their survey responses ahead of the deadline earlier in the year.

“It is not helpful now to resort to finger-pointing at responsible bodies, especially given there may be a number of reasons why some questionnaire responses have not arrived.

“The priority is that government quickly builds confidence in the system that it knows the extent of the problem and that it has the short-term and long-term plans in place to resolve the issue.”

Kent theatre closes with immediate effect as work carried out on Raac in roof

Tuesday 5 September 2023 19:45 , Eleanor Noyce

A theatre has been closed with immediate effect as work is carried out on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) in its roof.

The Orchard Theatre in Dartford, Kent, will suspend performances until the end of September as further investigations get under way.

The announcement comes as more than 100 schools have been partially or fully closed due to the collapse-risk material.

Ministers are working to find out how many public buildings could be affected.

A joint statement from Dartford Borough Council and Trafalgar Theatres states that following a routine inspection on Monday, the latest industry guidance meant closing the theatre for further surveys to be done.

A report found defects in the Raac panels in the theatre’s roof were “not significant” in April last year but that the council had been planning to replace them in the “medium to long-term” following consultant advice.

Dartford Borough Council leader Jeremy Kite said: “It’s not the news that anyone wants to hear but there is nothing more important than the safety of the audiences, staff, artists, volunteers and everyone at the venue.

“This problem was embedded in the building at the time of its construction in 1983 and it is one of thousands of buildings built using this construction method.”

Cllr Kite added that while any closure was a “blow”, the safety of customers and staff was the “number one priority”.

Both Dartford Borough Council and Trafalgar Theatres were committed to making the necessary adaptations required as soon as possible to allow performances to recommence, he said.

Helen Enright, chief operating officer of Trafalgar Entertainment and chief executive of Trafalgar Theatres, said: “Once the time frames become clearer, we will update customers as to the status of the future programme and would like to reassure customers that their money is safe.

“We will be contacting existing ticket holders to reschedule performances or to reimburse them.”

Which schools in Scotland are impacted by Raac?

Tuesday 5 September 2023 19:35 , Eleanor Noyce

As the Scottish education secretary has confirmed that 37 schools across the country are impacted by Raac, the list by council area is as follows:

Perth and Kinross - Perth Grammar School

West Lothian Council - St Kentigern’s Academy in Blackburn, Balbardie Primary School, Windyknowe Primary in Bathgate, Riverside Primary and Knightsridge Primary in Livingston.

Highland Council - Charleston Academy, Nairn Academy.

Moray - Forres Academy .

Inverclyde Council - one school which has not been named

Aberdeenshire Council - Mackie Academy, Westhill Academy

North Lanarkshire Council - one school which has not been named

East Lothian Council - parts of Preston Lodge High School, Prestonpans

Argyll and Bute Council - John Logie Baird Primary School in Helensburgh

Aberdeen - Abbotswell Primary, Cornhill Primary, Hazlehead Academy, Northfield Academy, Quarryhill Primary School, St Machar Academy, Westpark School

Edinburgh - Pentland Primary School, Fox Covert Primary School and St Andrews Fox Covert RC PS (one site), Colinton Primary School, Currie High School and Lorne Primary School, Cramond Primary School and Trinity Primary School.

Dundee - Ardler Primary School and St Fergus Primary School

North Ayrshire Council - Ardrossan Academy.

37 schools across Scotland impacted by Raac, Scottish education secretary confirms

Tuesday 5 September 2023 19:30 , Eleanor Noyce

As the Scottish government has released a list of schools impacted by Raac, Scottish education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said 37 schools were affected and that ministers had known since last year.

She said: “This has of course been an issue that the government has been aware of for some time, and that’s why action has been taken, and has been for some time, for example way back in July 2022 Scottish government officials made contact with the Scottish heads of Property Services and directors of education in Scotland to share information on Raac.

“I can completely appreciate why there is public concern on this, particularly given the way that announcements have been handled down in England.

“But I can reassure the member that we appreciate that public concern means we need to be as open as possible, as we can be, for this because parents and staff are concerned about this issue.”

Schools in Scotland containing Raac named

Tuesday 5 September 2023 19:16 , Eleanor Noyce

At least thirty schools in Scotland found to contain a potentially dangerous concrete have been named by councils.

Figures shared with the PA news agency from 14 local authorities in Scotland showed at least 33 schools across the country have been found to have the potentially dangerous material, reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

Five councils were yet to respond to requests for figures including Scotland’s largest, Glasgow City Council.

City of Edinburgh Council currently has the highest number of schools with Raac and said eight across the local authority included the material.

Trinity Primary School and Cramond Primary School have temporary accommodation blocks set up, a council spokesperson said while other pupils are still in their own classrooms.

Aberdeen City Council has seven schools with the material.

West Lothian Council said Raac was present in five schools - St Kentigern’s Academy in Blackburn, Balbardie Primary School and Windyknowe Primary in Bathgate and Riverside Primary and Knightsridge Primary in Livingston.

A spokesperson said all areas with the material in its roofs had been closed with pupils and staff relocated to other areas.

Editorial: Sunak’s government is entangled in a terminal narrative entirely of its own making

Tuesday 5 September 2023 18:45 , Eleanor Noyce

It is a moment any politician rightly dreads, where the microphone is still on and an intemperate, revealing or downright foolish remark makes its way into the public domain.

Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, has suffered just such a “hot mic” moment, asking her ITV News interviewer, with heavy sarcasm, whether anyone had praised the work “we” have been doing on the school buildings scandal, while others were resting on their laurels. Or rather coarser formulations to that effect.

Read more:

Sunak’s government is entangled in a terminal narrative entirely of its own making

Nick Gibb’s awkward reaction as he’s asked about Gillian Keegan’s sweary outburst

Tuesday 5 September 2023 18:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Minister of State for Schools Nick Gibb laughed awkwardly when he was asked about education secretary Gillian Keegan’s sweary outburst in the crumbling concrete scandal.

Mr Gibb was asked by BBC Brekfast presenter Ben Boulos: “Are you as frustrated as your boss Gillian Keegan clearly is? How do you express your frustrations?”

Mr Gibb laughed awkwardly and said: “This was an off the cuff comment. She has apologised for the language used.

“She was frustrated by the questioning. She knows how hard civil servants in the department have been working on this issue since 2018.”

Nick Gibb’s awkward reaction as he’s asked about Gillian Keegan’s sweary outburst

Houses of Parliament being tested for crumbling concrete as crisis grows

Tuesday 5 September 2023 17:55 , Eleanor Noyce

Parliament is undergoing testing for Raac as the government becomes further embroiled in a crisis over the crumbling concrete, Bloomberg reports.

A source confirmed that tests were ongoing, but authorities were unable to say whether Raac has yet been detected.

Constructed in the 19th century, the buildings have been impacted by crumbling masonry, asbestos, leaks, vermin infestations and decades-old electrical wiring, with a body commissioned to produce estimates for a full-scale restoration finding that it would cost £22 billion and potentially take 76 years to carry out the work.

More follows:

Now Houses of Parliament being tested for crumbling concrete as crisis grows

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

Tuesday 5 September 2023 17:45 , 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:

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

Gillian Keegan: the education secretary in hot water over a hot mic incident

Tuesday 5 September 2023 17:25 , Eleanor Noyce

When Gillian Keegan was appointed education secretary by Rishi Sunak, she was the fifth person to hold the role in under four months and the sixth since the 2019 general election.

Less than a year later, she is fighting a major crisis after ordering more than 100 schools to make closures because of concerns that a crumbling aerated concrete could collapse.

The strain of that erupted in public on Monday when she unwittingly vented her frustrations, swearing about a lack of gratitude towards her while others have “sat on their arse and done nothing” while the cameras were still rolling after a broadcast interview.

Sam Blewett reports:

Gillian Keegan: the education secretary in hot water over a hot mic incident

Concrete schools closure list: What schools have been affected by crumbling RAAC?

Tuesday 5 September 2023 17:08 , 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.

Read more:

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

Performances suspended at Dartford theatre after Raac discovery

Tuesday 5 September 2023 16:48 , Eleanor Noyce

Performances have been suspended at The Orchard Theatre, Dartford, due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

A joint statement from Dartford Borough Council and Trafalgar Theatres said: “We’re sorry to announce that it has become necessary to suspend performances at The Orchard Theatre, Dartford with immediate effect.

“When The Orchard Theatre was built in the early 1980s, reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was considered a cheap and lightweight alternative to traditional concrete and the theatre was one of thousands of public buildings to use it during construction.

“Dartford Borough Council has been commissioning regular surveys on The Orchard Theatre and the last report from our specialist consultants in April this year continued to report that defects in the Raac panels in the theatre’s roof were ‘not significant’. The council nevertheless began planning to replace panels in the ‘medium to long term’ in line with the consultant’s advice.

“However, a routine inspection yesterday (Monday), carried out in line with the most recent industry guidance resulted in the consultant making a recommendation to close until such time as further surveys could be carried out and a solution identified.”

Downing Street backs Gillian Keegan’s call for school chiefs to respond to Raac survey

Tuesday 5 September 2023 16:35 , Eleanor Noyce

Downing Street has backed Gillian Keegan’s call for school chiefs to respond to a survey about crumbling concrete.

The prime minister’s official spokesman did not repeat the education secretary’s call for the responsible bodies, councils and school trust leaders, to “get off their backsides”.

But he said: “Certainly, parents want reassurance on this and I think we would agree that it is important that all schools, as 95% or more have already done so, fill out this survey so we can provide further reassurance.

“We know already that, in the vast majority of cases, parents and pupils will not be affected by this.”

Scottish ministers knew of Raac school risks last summer, Somerville says

Tuesday 5 September 2023 16:21 , Eleanor Noyce

Scottish ministers have been aware of the risks of collapse-prone concrete since last summer, Shirley-Anne Somerville said as she pledged to be “open” with the public on concerns.

The Social Justice Secretary confirmed officials from the Scottish government had been communicating with local authorities since “way back in July 2022” to share information on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

It comes as a freedom of information request shows a document prepared by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service warning of potential “structural collapse” of hospitals, the “prevalence of asbestos in buildings of this age” and the “unknown performance” of the material in a fire.

Ms Somerville said the concrete has been detected in 37 schools in Scotland, however the impacted schools are not expected to close while a “desk-based review” is conducted over the coming months.

But 104 schools south of the border have been partially or fully closed following concerns about the material.

Addressing MSPs in Holyrood during topical questions on Tuesday, Ms Somerville said: “This has of course been an issue that the government has been aware of for some time, and that’s why action has been taken, and has been for some time, for example way back in July 2022 Scottish government officials made contact with the Scottish heads of Property Services and directors of education in Scotland to share information on Raac.”

The Social Justice Secretary also moved to reassure pupils, parents and teachers of where the concrete has been discovered, adding: “I can completely appreciate why there is public concern on this, particularly given the way that announcements have been handled down in England.

“But I can reassure the member that we appreciate that public concern means we need to be as open as possible, as we can be, for this because parents and staff are concerned about this issue.”

Responsibility for Raac crisis ‘sits squarely on the government’s shoulders’, says headteachers’ union chief

Tuesday 5 September 2023 16:05 , Eleanor Noyce

The responsibility for the concrete crisis “sits squarely on the government’s shoulders”, the general secretary of a headteachers’ union has said.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Any attempt to start shifting the blame onto individual schools will be seen by parents and public for what it is: a desperate attempt by government to deflect from its own significant failings.”

He added: “The fact that we now have classroom ceilings held up by metal poles and classrooms put out of use completely is a reflection of the neglect and cuts we have been warning about for years.

“The responsibility for this situation sits squarely on the government’s shoulders and no amount of deflection and distraction will change that.”

Ask an education expert anything about the school concrete crisis - from homeschooling to closure details

Tuesday 5 September 2023 15:50 , Eleanor Noyce

Parents across the country are still attempting to piece together all the information after safety fears forced more than 100 schools to close.

Many pupils have been resuming their studies online or in temporary facilities following fears over a type of concrete, described as “80 per cent air” and “like an Aero Bar”.

Schools Week editor John Dickens is on hand to answer your questions as parents grapple to understand how crumbling concrete could disrupt their children’s education. Join from 4pm, and submit questions until 5pm:

Ask an education expert anything about the school concrete closure crisis

Sadiq Khan urges Tories to be ‘transparent’ over school concrete crisis

Tuesday 5 September 2023 15:38 , Eleanor Noyce

Sadiq Khan has urged the government to be “transparent” over the school concrete crisis.

The Mayor of London said the consequences of RAAC are not being shared with him, as he visited Newport Primary School in the capital.

Mr Khan made the trip as free school meals are rolled out across the city to all state primary school children.

“I think the government has to come clean and be transparent,” he said.

“This would be reassuring to staff, to parents, to children and to others.”

Sadiq Khan urges Tories to be ‘transparent’ over school concrete crisis

Northampton’s Royal & Derngate Theatre temporarily closed

Tuesday 5 September 2023 15:22 , Eleanor Noyce

The Royal & Derngate Theatre in Northampton has temporarily closed after detecting Raac in its foyers.

Describing the safety of its audiences as “paramount”, the theatre made the decision following a building survey.

Staff will be working from home during the closure, the theatre added.

Chief Executive, Jo Gordon, said: “We are deeply saddened by this discovery and to have to close our doors at this time, particularly as September is usually an incredibly busy and important time for the theatre.

“We are keenly aware of the disappointment that this will cause to audiences, visiting companies and our staff alike, though we know they’ll understand that their safety is always our primary concern.

“We look forward to welcoming everyone back as soon as possible and updating further as soon as we are able.”

Hospitals told to have plans in place for collapse of Raac panels

Tuesday 5 September 2023 15:20 , Eleanor Noyce

Hospitals have been told to ensure they have evacuation plans in place to deal with the risk of collapse-prone concrete.

NHS chiefs have been told to have procedures to cope with the failure of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), including for the “decant of patients and services”.

Managers in hospitals where Raac has already been confirmed have been told to ensure that management plans to deal with it are “sufficiently robust and being implemented”.

A letter sent from NHS England to trust chiefs said 27 sites had previously been identified as having Raac, with three of them having already eradicated the concrete.

The letter, from NHS England’s chief commercial officer Jacqui Rock and national director for emergency planning and incident response Dr Mike Prentice, called for trusts to make sure work to identify and manage Raac had been properly carried out.

But it added that plans for Raac collapses also needed to be kept up to date.

“Effective management of Raac significantly reduces associated risks; but does not completely eliminate them,” they said.

“Planning for Raac failure, including the decant of patients and services where Raac panels are present in clinical areas, is, therefore, part of business continuity planning for trusts where Raac is known to be present, or is potentially present.”

A regional evacuation plan was created and tested in the East of England region, with lessons from it shared across the country.

“We would recommend that all boards ensure that they are familiar with the learning from this exercise and that they are being incorporated into standard business continuity planning as a matter of good practice,” the NHS England letter said.

“This exercise is, however, essential for those organisations with known Raac, and should be done as a matter of priority if it has not already been completed.”

National Theatre has found Raac in ‘number’ of backstage areas

Tuesday 5 September 2023 15:13 , Eleanor Noyce

The National Theatre said it has found reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) in a number of its backstage areas.

On Tuesday, a statement from the theatre on London’s South Bank said: “The National Theatre is a grade II listed building made predominantly from traditional reinforced and post tensioned concrete; there are a small number of select backstage areas where Raac is present.

“Our structural engineers are in the process of surveying these areas, initial indications are that they are safe and do not currently require remedial works.

“We have always and will continue to take the safety of our staff and audiences very seriously.”

‘Nightmare’ for mother of four as three children affected by Raac schools crisis

Tuesday 5 September 2023 15:10 , Eleanor Noyce

A mother of four has said it has been a “nightmare” as the concrete crisis has disrupted the schools attended by three of her children.

Safety concerns over reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) have caused more than 100 schools to partially or fully shut across the UK.

Sally Walsh, 44, from Buckhurst Hill, Essex, said she is facing a “horrendous situation” as her 12-year-old, attending Roding Valley High School, and two other children, nine and six, attending Buckhurst Hill Primary School, will experience learning disruptions.

Her two-year-old child is also starting preschool this week, adding to the challenges she is facing.

Ms Walsh’s 12-year-old has been instructed not to attend Roding Valley School this week - she said half the school is “unusable” and she “does not know” exactly what is happening.

She said her nine-year-old was “heartbroken” to learn that his class, along with three others, would have to attend a different school, White Bridge Primary School, 0.8 miles away from Buckhurst Hill Primary.

Ms Walsh added that her six-year-old will stay at Buckhurst Hill Primary, but will be taught either in a “staff room, library or school hall”.

“It’s a nightmare, I’m going to have three kids in three different schools plus the little one starting preschool this week”, she said.

“The community are really rallying around, we’re immediately getting offered with help to take my children to school.

“But I’m still finding it upsetting because they’re my kids, I don’t want someone else to take them to school.”

She added: “My son who’s going to a different school was heartbroken when he found out last night.

“You know he doesn’t even know the school, it’s completely alien to him, and it’s hard when we can’t put a time frame on it.

“I can’t say ‘For this many weeks you’ve got to do it and then it’ll be fine’.”

Education secretary orders headteachers to ‘get off their backsides’ to sort crumbling concrete surveys

Tuesday 5 September 2023 15:05 , Eleanor Noyce

The education secretary has ordered headteachers to “get off their backsides” to complete surveys into whether their buildings contain dangerous crumbling concrete.

Gillian Keegan said one in 20 schools is yet to complete a questionnaire sent out in 2018 and called on leaders to respond quickly as the crisis deepens.

The Department for Education (DfE) sent surveys to all schools to discover whether they contained reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), following the collapse of a school ceiling. RAAC is a potentially dangerous material used to construct schools, colleges, and other buildings between the Fifties and mid-Seventies in the UK.

Archie Mitchell has more:

Education secretary tells headteachers ‘get off your backsides’ and sort RAAC surveys

Concrete crisis: Teenager shares thoughts on school closure in front of displeased mother

Tuesday 5 September 2023 14:52 , Eleanor Noyce

A year 10 student told BBC North West he is “absolutely buzzing” that his school is closed due to RAAC concrete worries.

The teenager drew a rather disapproving look from his mother as he shared his thoughts on the situation.

“I was absolutely buzzing because I don’t have to go to school,” Henry told the BBC.

When his mother pointed out he was missing his friends, he responded: “No, I was meeting up anyway, I just don’t really want to go to school”.

Henry went on to clarify that he is looking forward to studying a business course as his shocked mother laughed towards the camera.

Teenager shares thoughts on school closure in front of displeased mother

Laying responsibility for concrete crisis with schools is ‘outrageous’, says teaching union leader

Tuesday 5 September 2023 14:40 , Eleanor Noyce

Laying any responsibility for the concrete crisis at the door of schools is “outrageous”, the leader of a teaching union has suggested.

Education secretary Gillian Keegan said school chiefs who have not responded to a survey about collapse-prone reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) should “get off their backsides” and inform the Government.

Addressing the comments, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said: “It is outrageous of the education secretary to lay any responsibility for the Raac crisis at the door of schools.

“The fact is that the Department for Education has dragged its heels over many years on this issue.”

He added: “The government has failed to show leadership on this issue for very many years.”

Keegan job 'in danger', say senior Tories

Tuesday 5 September 2023 14:29 , Eleanor Noyce

One senior Tory, an ex-minister, told The Independent that Ms Keegan was guilty of “amateur slip-ups” when speaking to the media – and warned her job was “in danger” if the government failed to get a grip of the Raac crisis.

Another former minister told The Independent that the crumbly concrete crisis had been “terribly handled” by Ms Keegan and her schools minister Nick Gibb. They said that Raac was a “long-standing issue that should be being dealt with locally - they’ve turned it into a national crisis”.

They added “but I expect she will survive”, accusing Mr Sunak of being unable to carry out even a minor reshuffle after last week’s long awaited re-jig of his top team saw just one cabinet minister moved.

Voices: If anyone sat around on their a*** doing nothing, it was Gillian Keegan

Tuesday 5 September 2023 14:18 , Eleanor Noyce

As an emblem of a government so out of touch that it looks for gratitude for presiding over 13 years of underinvestment that has left us with crumbling schools, we can do no better than Gillian Keegan’s “hot mic” moment, when she asked an ITV News correspondent:

“Does anyone ever say, ‘You know you’ve done a f****** good job because everyone else has sat on their arses and done nothing’. No signs of that, no?”

She has been slapped down by No 10 and made to apologise for her “choice language”, but it wasn’t how she said it but what she said that was so revealing – the apparent offensive sense of entitlement it suddenly illuminated, and in such stark contrast to the ritualistic expressions of concern for pupils and teachers.

The hot mic meltdown revealed the education secretary’s own stunning dereliction of duty – and an offensive sense of entitlement by a pound-store Marie Antoinette, writes Sean O’Grady:

If anyone sat around on their a*** doing nothing, it was Gillian Keegan

Gillian Keegan defends Rishi Sunak’s decision-making as chancellor

Tuesday 5 September 2023 14:03 , Eleanor Noyce

Gillian Keegan sought to defend Rishi Sunak’s decision-making as chancellor amid a row over his role in the concrete crisis.

The education secretary was asked whether she meant Mr Sunak when she criticised those who had “sat on their arse and done nothing”, as he had been accused by former Department for Education permanent secretary Jonathan Slater of having declined a request for funding to rebuild more schools.

She told Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2 on Tuesday: “Absolutely not. The prime minister when he was chancellor announced the school rebuilding programme in 2020 to rebuild 500 schools. So I don’t know what Jonathan’s talking about...

“What they do the Treasury, I mean first of all people always put in bids which are high, and what they do is they look in the round and they look at your track record.”

She added: “What I will say is our schools are really well funded. Rishi cares massively about education, and I care massively about education.”

Not every building with Raac will be torn down - Gillian Keegan

Tuesday 5 September 2023 13:56 , Eleanor Noyce

Not every building with Raac will be torn down, Gillian Keegan has said.

It was put to the education secretary that reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) with a 30-year lifespan is starting to collapse after 60 years.

She told Jeremy Vine: “Yes but you have to manage it, right? We’re not going to tear every building down that has Raac in it. You have to manage it.”

She noted that Raac “actually had a 50-year lease and then they changed it to 30”.

She put her sweary outburst the day before down to frustration that the interviewer “was trying to pin everything on me, you know, ‘why haven’t you done this, why haven’t you done that, why haven’t you done the other?’ And actually Raac has been around for a long time, since the 1950s to 1994.”

School chiefs should ‘get off their backsides’ and inform government of Raac impact, says Gillian Keegan

Tuesday 5 September 2023 13:54 , Eleanor Noyce

School chiefs who have not responded to a survey should “get off their backsides” and inform the government whether they are affected by crumbling concrete, Gillian Keegan has said.

The education secretary, who railed against those who had “sat on their arse and done nothing” in a sweary outburst a day earlier, told Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2 on Tuesday: “The annoying bit and this was probably a bit of my frustration yesterday, is despite asking since March 2020, there’s 5% of schools or responsible bodies that have not responded to the survey.

“Now hopefully all this publicity will make them get off their backsides.

“But what I would like them to do is to respond because I want to be the Secretary of State that knows exactly in every school where there is Raac and takes action.”

She added: “We’ve written to them quite a few times and we’ve also set up a call centre to phone them up to ask them to do it and they still haven’t. So we have written to them yesterday and given them ‘til the end of the week.”

Government and predecessors have done an ‘excellent job’ on Raac crisis - Gillian Keegan

Tuesday 5 September 2023 13:52 , Eleanor Noyce

Gillian Keegan insisted the government and her predecessors have done an “excellent job” in responding to the aerated concrete crisis.

Quizzed on whether she meant previous education secretaries when she criticised those who had “sat on their arse and done nothing,” the current role holder told Jeremy Vine: “Not at all. I think my predecessors did do a great job.

“The Department for Education I feel has done a really good job. And yet we’ve been put in this situation.

“I don’t mind personally and I’m a grown up, I will get criticised. You know, once you’re a politician, that’s just life, right?

“But I do think the department has done an excellent job. I think the responsible bodies who responded to the survey - 95% of them have gone round, they’ve looked at Raac, they’ve responded. They’ve done a brilliant job.

“The proppers, the building companies, they’ve all worked so hard, the caseworkers, the call centres. And I honestly feel that we’ve stood all that up and very quickly, and I honestly feel they’ve done a really, really good job and no-one has said it. So that’s who I meant.”

Sunak rejected funding request to fix more crumbling schools, minister says

Tuesday 5 September 2023 13:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Rishi Sunak was under fresh pressure over his role in the concrete crisis after a minister said the former chancellor approved funding for the rebuilding of 50 schools yearly, despite a bid for 200.

Schools minister Nick Gibb suggested on Tuesday that the prime minister, when chancellor in 2021, had gone with other priorities over a request to increase funding to fix England’s schools.

The Department for Education (DfE) conceded that just four schools have been rebuilt so far under the programme to overhaul 500 sites by 2030 that Mr Sunak has used in his defence in recent days.

Mr Gibb insisted the government’s response to the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) that is causing more than 100 schools to partially or fully shut is “world-leading”.

The prime minister has been accused of refusing to fully fund a programme to rebuild England’s crumbling schools when he was chancellor by former DfE permanent secretary Jonathan Slater.

The ex-civil servant said that up to 400 schools a year needed to be replaced but that funding was given for 100 after Mr Sunak took the decision to “halve the size of the programme”.

However, Mr Sunak told reporters the attack on his record was “completely and utterly wrong”.

Mr Gibb said he did not recognise the 400 figure but admitted that the DfE asked for funding to overhaul 200 schools a year in 2021 only for Mr Sunak to agree funding for just 50 a year.

“We put in a bid for 200, but what Rishi agreed to was to continue the rebuilding programme with 50 a year, consistent with what we’d been doing since we came into office,” the minister told Sky News.

“Of course we put in a bid for 200, but of course the Treasury then has to compare that with all the other priorities from right across Whitehall, from the health service, defence, and so on.”

Concrete crisis ‘terribly handled’ by Gillian Keegan, former minister says

Tuesday 5 September 2023 13:40 , Eleanor Noyce

One former minister said the crumbly concrete crisis had been “terribly handled” by Ms Keegan and her schools minister Nick Gibb.

They said that Raac was a “long-standing issue that should be being dealt with locally - they’ve turned it into a national crisis”.

They added “but I expect she will survive”, accusing Mr Sunak of being unable to carry out even a minor reshuffle after last week’s long awaited re-jig of his top team saw just one cabinet minister moved.

Roundup of the most notorious hot-mic slip-ups after Gillian Keegan’s sweary outburst

Tuesday 5 September 2023 13:35 , Eleanor Noyce

Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, is facing criticism after her sweary outburst over the school concrete crisis was caught by a hot mic on Monday 4 September.

In a moment of frustration, she hit out at those who she argued had “sat on their arse and done nothing” and questioned why no one was saying “You’ve done a f****** good job”.

While her outburst piles pressure on Rishi Sunak and the government, Ms Keegan wasn’t the first politician to be caught out by a live microphone - and she certainly won’t be the last.

Here, The Independent takes a look at some of the most famous hot-mic moments from years gone by.

Roundup of the most notorious hot-mic slip-ups after Gillian Keegan’s sweary outburst

Government ‘has no plans’ to tell public where buildings with Raac are

Tuesday 5 September 2023 13:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The government is scrambling to pull together the information it has on public buildings with Raac – but has no plans to tell the public where they are.

Rishi Sunak chaired a meeting on the issue yesterday, although the work is being led by the cabinet office minister Jeremy Quin.

But No 10 said it was “not aware” of plans let the public know the full list of all buildings affected.

Mr Sunak’s official spokesman said : “The first thing to do is make sure that we are bringing together all the information we have across departments”.

He went on: “For some time, indeed for years, many departments, including the Department for Education (DFE), have been furthering our understanding of where Raac is in their estate”.

He said there was work being undertaken to bring “together all that information into one place and making sure that departments across the piece have any support that they need”.

‘Right to prioritise safety’ by closing schools, Sunak tells cabinet

Tuesday 5 September 2023 13:25 , Eleanor Noyce

Rishi Sunak told his cabinet it was “right to prioritise safety” by closing schools affected by the concrete crisis, though the issue did not dominate the meeting.

The prime minister’s official spokesman told reporters on Tuesday: “The prime minister provided a short update on the government’s approach to Raac (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) in school settings.

“He said it was right to prioritise safety and take a proactive approach of doing everything possible to minimise disruption in the small portion of schools which are affected.

“He said parents should be reassured that the vast majority of schools are not impacted by Raac and that mitigations either are or are being put in place for those already identified, meaning face-to face-education was either uninterrupted or the impacts have been kept to the bare minimum.”

The official declined to say how much of the cabinet meeting was spent discussing the crisis, but did not deny that it was not the main focus of the gathering.

Ministers looking at extent of Raac problems in public buildings

Tuesday 5 September 2023 13:23 , Eleanor Noyce

Ministers are working to find out how many public buildings could be affected by collapse-risk concrete.

Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin is leading the work to establish the extent of the problem following the decision to fully or partially close more than 100 schools in England because of the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

Almost £700 million has already been allocated for NHS hospitals in England with Raac issues, but courts, police stations and prisons could also be affected.

But Downing Street said there were no plans to publish a list of public buildings that contain Raac.

The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “The advice we’ve had across the piece is that the way to manage Raac will vary depending on the circumstances in which it’s found.

“We have mitigations in place across the NHS estate, equally, they also have estate managers who monitor the conditions of buildings and that’s not the case in education settings, as you might expect in a small primary.

“And that’s why the approach is differing, depending on settings.”

The spokesman added: “There is work being led by Minister Quin from the Cabinet Office on bringing together all the information we have about Raac in public buildings and the prime minister led a meeting on that just yesterday, and he and Mr Quin will continue to lead the cross-government work on that.

“But on the NHS estate and in courts, the understanding of that is well-advanced and mitigations are being put in place.”

The Ministry of Justice began work “some months ago” on examining the impact on prisons, the spokesman said.

Urgent review of hospital buildings ordered over collapse-prone concrete fears

Tuesday 5 September 2023 13:15 , Rebecca Thomas

Health leaders have been reminded to review their hospital buildings over mounting fears about collapse-prone concrete.

NHS England has written to all hospital leaders to make sure they have reviewed risks to their buildings and specific risks around the existence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and mitigations in place to manage the danger.

In a letter on Tuesday, hospitals were told to ensure if they have not already reviewed this return the information to NHS England’s national RAAC programme team.

It said new guidance by The Department for Education regarding RAAC in schools has “generated heightened public interest in the presence of RAAC in the NHS estate.”

Rachel Reeves presses Jeremy Hunt to publish DfE’s 2021 warnings about crumbling school estate

Tuesday 5 September 2023 13:13 , Eleanor Noyce

Rachel Reeves has pressed the chancellor to publish the Department for Education’s 2021 warnings about the crumbling school estate.

The shadow chancellor told the Commons: “Now I understand, indeed I know that in the lead up to the 2021 spending review, the Department for Education made a submission to the Treasury about the dangerous deteriorating school estate, including from Raac (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete).

“These warnings were ignored by the then-chancellor, the current prime minister, and we have seen the consequences.

“So will today’s chancellor do the right thing and publish the Department for Education’s submission to the last spending review?”

Jeremy Hunt did not directly address the question, but said: “Capital spending at the Department for Education went up 16% in real terms in that review. Isn’t the difference that with the fastest recovery in Europe, Conservatives build an economy that can pay our schools and hospitals and Labour run out of money?”

Sunak told cabinet ‘parents should be reassured'

Tuesday 5 September 2023 13:00 , Alexander Butler

Rishi Sunak told his cabinet that “parents should be reassured that the vast majority of schools” are not affected by RAAC, No 10 has said.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said that during today’s cabinet meeting: “The Prime Minister provided a short update on the Government’s approach to Raac (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) in school settings.

“He said it was right to prioritise safety and take a proactive approach of doing everything possible to minimise disruption in the small portion of schools which are affected.

“He said parents should be reassured that the vast majority of schools are not impacted by Raac and that mitigations either are or are being put in place for those already identified, meaning face-to face-education was either uninterrupted or the impacts have been kept to the bare minimum.”

Headteacher reacts to Gillian Keegan’s sweary outburst

Tuesday 5 September 2023 12:45 , Alexander Butler

A primary school headteacher reacted with shock as she was shown Gillian Keegan’s sweary outburst amid the concrete crisis.

The education secretary was caught on a hot mic complaining about not being thanked for doing a “f****** good job” on Monday 4 September.

“I am horrified and disgusted by what I have just seen,” Cas Evans, headteacher at Parks Primary School in Leicester, said.

“Please, Gillian, come and see my school, come and really understand what RAAC looks like, what RAAC is in a school.

“Just come and see what your serving headteachers are doing in order to maintain a good education.”

Sunak rejected request to fix schools, minister claims

Tuesday 5 September 2023 12:30 , Alexander Butler

Rishi Sunak was under fresh pressure over his role in the concrete crisis after a minister said the former chancellor approved funding for the rebuilding of 50 schools yearly, despite a bid for 200.

Schools minister Nick Gibb suggested on Tuesday that the Prime Minister, when chancellor in 2021, had gone with other priorities over a request to increase funding to fix England’s schools.

The Department for Education (DfE) conceded that just four schools have been rebuilt so far under the programme at the centre of that row.

But Mr Gibb insisted the Government’s response to the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) that is causing more than 100 schools to partially or fully shut is “world-leading”.

Ed Balls accuses schools minister of not knowing how many schools are unsafe

Tuesday 5 September 2023 12:15 , Alexander Butler

Ed Balls grilled the schools minister amid the concrete scandal on Tuesday 5 September, accusing Nick Gibb of not knowing how many schools are unsafe.

“You’ve just admitted to us that you still don’t know all of the schools that have got RAAC in,” the Good Morning Britain presenter said.

“The responsible bodies have been advised - very strongly since 2018 - to identify if they have RAAC in their schools,” Mr Gibb responded, addressing the claim.

“You don’t know the answer to my question, do you? There are schools that might be at risk and you don’t know,” Mr Balls then interrupted.

Only four schools refurbished under scheme to cover 50 a year

Tuesday 5 September 2023 12:01 , Alexander Butler

Only four schools have been refurbished under Government plans which promised to cover 50 a year, it has emerged.

It comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak continues to face questions over funding for crumbling schools across the UK.

Gillian Keegan is a ‘technocrat’, Tory MP claims

Tuesday 5 September 2023 11:30 , Kate Devlin

Gillian Keegan came under fresh pressure over her future amid growing anger among Tory MPs.

One told The Independent: “Like virtually everyone else in this Government she is a technocrat not a politician. She can probably survive. (There is) no point in replacing her if just the same old”.

Executive of education trust heard about RAAC by “watching TV”

Tuesday 5 September 2023 11:15 , Alexander Butler

The chief executive of an education trust said he learned of developments in concrete concerns at schools “by watching TV and listening to radio”, adding that he “wasn’t directly communicated with about the change”.

Oliver Burwood, chief executive officer of the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust, said it was fortunate he and fellow staff had been engaged with the issue.

“Some of my reflections about how the news was shared - myself and my head of estates and the headteacher involved found this out by watching TV and listening to radio,” he said.

“We weren’t directly communicated with about the change. There was a level of fortune there I’d say that we were on top of this issue because we’re all engaged and interested in it.

“The bigger question I suppose as a leader and as a parent is at what point was there really enough information to understand that Raac was not safe.

“We all follow the guidance that we’re told but could that guidance have been shifted earlier because it sounds like even though we’ve got everything in place now, there has been a period in schools when perhaps this Raac has been present and hasn’t been safe.”

The chief executive of an education trust said he learned of developments in concrete concerns at schools “by watching TV and listening to radio”, adding that he “wasn’t directly communicated with about the change”.

Labour mocks Tory claim ‘most’ schools unaffected by RAAC

Tuesday 5 September 2023 10:52 , Alexander Butler

The Labour Party has mocked Education Secretary Gillian Keegan’s claim “most” schools are unaffected by RAAC chaos.

On Twitter, Labour Press posted a graphic reading “Most beachgoers not eaten by big shark” in response to a similar one posted by Ms Keegan, which claimed “Most schools unaffected.”

Ms Keegan said: “The vast majority of schools will be unaffected by RAAC. For those that are affected, we are working non-stop to mitigate any disruption to education, and protect pupils and staff.”

One user replied: “A Tory boast... Most schools aren’t crumbling down! Well, well-done you.”

Children to be taught at a nearby school as building is repaired

Tuesday 5 September 2023 10:30 , Alexander Butler

Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School in Essex said it had identified that aerated concrete was present in its central building and that four classes will need to be taught at a nearby school while this is addressed.

It said reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was in the roof, affecting eight of 14 classrooms, the dining hall, part of the kitchen, some children’s toilets, administrative offices and a staff room.

Of the eight affected classes, alternative space has been found at the school for half, while the remaining four will be taught from a nearby school in the same trust whose buildings are unaffected by Raac.

The school said it would rely on packed lunches to meet the needs of children on free school meals, with arrangements in place from Monday.

“Staff have worked around the clock to get pupils back to school and to these new temporary arrangements as soon as possible,” the school said in a statement.

“We are fortunate to be part of a very positive and collaborative school community - parents, staff and the wider community have been completely supportive, enabling us to focus on the safety and education of our pupils. As you will appreciate, this has been a challenging period.”

Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School in Essex said it had identified that aerated concrete was present in its central building and that four classes will need to be taught at a nearby school while this is addressed.

Parents and grandparents don’t know ‘how long’ RAAC chaos will last

Tuesday 5 September 2023 10:02 , Alexander Butler

Parents and grandparents dropping children off for the first day of the new term at Eldwick Primary School, near Bradford, said they had been kept well informed of the Raac issues by the head but were still unsure exactly what will happen in the coming weeks.

One woman said: “My daughter’s really happy to be back and I don’t think there’s much change from her point of view.

“They’ve spent a lot of time rearranging everything inside and I think the school’s done everything it can to make sure it’s as normal as possible for the kids.”

Another woman, who was dropping-off her grandchild, said: “I think parents have been calmed down a lot by the head, who is really good and has kept everyone really well informed over the last few days.

“It’s a bit of a maze in there but things are happening. I don’t think anyone really knows how long this will last, though.”

Eldwick is one of two primary schools identified by Bradford Council as having reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) present - the other being Crossflatts Primary, in nearby Bingley.

Parents and grandparents dropping children off for the first day of the new term at Eldwick Primary School, near Bradford, said they had been kept well informed of the Raac issues by the head but were still unsure exactly what will happen in the coming weeks.

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website