One sentence summary – Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has called on academy trusts and councils to respond to a survey on Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (Raac) in schools, expressing frustration at the lack of response from 5% of responsible bodies, and hopes that increased publicity will encourage these bodies to take action; concerns surrounding Raac in schools have led to an influx of inquiries from educational institutions seeking temporary classrooms, benefiting modular builders like Algeco and Shepherd Group.
At a glance
- Education Secretary Gillian Keegan urges academy trusts and councils to respond to a survey on Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (Raac) in schools
- Keegan expresses frustration at the lack of response from 5% of responsible bodies
- The survey was launched in March 2022 to identify schools with suspected Raac and address the issue promptly
- Concerns surrounding Raac in schools have led to an influx of inquiries from educational institutions seeking temporary classrooms
- Over 100 schools have been closed by the Department for Education due to safety concerns related to Raac concrete
The details
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has urged academy trusts and councils to respond to a survey on Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (Raac) in schools.
Keegan expressed frustration at the lack of response from 5% of responsible bodies.
She hopes that increased publicity will encourage these bodies to take action.
The survey was launched in March 2022.
Its aim is to identify schools with suspected Raac and address the issue promptly.
Previously, only two-thirds of suspected Raac schools were confirmed to have the issue.
This prompted Keegan to announce a survey of potentially affected schools within the next two weeks.
Academies Minister Baroness Barran has written to responsible bodies.
She urged them to complete the survey by the end of the week.
The Department for Education (DfE) will consider appropriate actions for those who fail to respond.
The government’s attempt to address the Raac issue has faced criticism.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, accused the government of diverting attention from its own failings.
Whiteman blamed capital budget cuts for the problem.
Geoff Barton, general secretary at the school leaders’ union ASCL, expressed concern about the DfE potentially publicly naming and shaming schools that have not responded to the survey.
The cross-party education committee has called in Baroness Barran and permanent secretary Susan Acland-Hood for questioning.
The committee aims to understand the origins of the issue, determine how and when it can be resolved, and identify valuable lessons to be learned.
The evidence session is scheduled for September 19 at 10 am.
Concerns surrounding Raac in schools have led to an influx of inquiries from educational institutions seeking temporary classrooms.
Algeco, a leading modular builder in the UK, has reported a surge in requests for modular buildings, including converted shipping containers and portable cabins.
At least 156 schools have been identified as potentially having dangerous Raac, and this number may increase.
Raac, a type of concrete used in public buildings from the 1950s to the 1990s, has been deemed life-expired and liable to collapse without notice.
Temporary modular classrooms, which can be stacked up to four storeys high and come equipped with furniture, are expected to be in high demand.
Algeco and Portakabin are among the key modular builders in the country.
Due to transport and alteration ease, repurposing shipping containers may be necessary.
Customers typically experience a waiting period of approximately three weeks for a single temporary classroom.
The concrete safety concerns are expected to benefit modular builders like Algeco and Shepherd Group.
The Construction Leadership Council is convening to discuss the industry’s response to the Raac crisis.
Over 100 schools have been closed by the Department for Education due to safety concerns related to Raac concrete.
The Health and Safety Executive has classified Raac as “life-expired” and “liable to collapse with little or no notice.”
Raac has been widely used across the UK, including in universities, military buildings, and government structures.
Privately owned buildings, such as industrial structures, may also contain Raac.
Properly maintained Raac can last up to 50 years and potentially longer.
However, improperly installed or damaged Raac poses a significant risk.
The urgent task at hand is to identify buildings where Raac is present and assess its condition.
While the NHS has taken proactive steps to address Raac in hospital buildings, the Department for Education has faced challenges in communicating with schools.
The limited number of professionals with expertise in working with Raac poses additional difficulties.
Swift, safe, and effective action in dealing with Raac across the country could position the UK as a global model in understanding and managing the risks associated with this structural material.
Article X-ray
A group of diverse students holding up survey forms with pencils in their hands, while the Education Secretary stands nearby, encouraging them.
This section links each of the article’s facts back to its original source.
If you have any suspicions that false information is present in the article, you can use this section to investigate where it came from.
| schoolsweek.co.uk |
|---|
| – Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has called on academy trusts and councils to fill out a survey on RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete). – Keegan expressed frustration that 5% of responsible bodies have not yet responded to the questionnaire, which was launched in March 2022. – Keegan hopes that increased publicity will encourage these bodies to respond and take action. |
| – Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT school leaders’ union, criticized the government’s attempt to deflect from its own failings and blamed capital budget cuts for the RAAC issue. – Keegan stated that schools with suspected RAAC will be surveyed in the next two weeks, and previously, only two-thirds of suspected RAAC schools were confirmed to have the issue. – Academies Minister Baroness Barran has written to responsible bodies, urging them to respond to the survey by the end of the week. – |
| The Department for Education (DfE) will consider what actions to take with those responsible bodies that have not responded. – Barran emphasized the importance of responding to the survey and stated that it should only take 10 to 15 minutes to complete. – Geoff Barton, general secretary at school leaders’ union ASCL, expressed concern about the DfE potentially naming and shaming schools that have not responded to the survey. |
| – |
| The cross-party education committee has called in Barran and permanent secretary Susan Acland-Hood for questioning over RAAC. – |
| The committee aims to establish how the RAAC situation developed, how and when it can be resolved, and what lessons can be learned. – |
| The evidence session will take place on September 19 at 10am. |
| theguardian.com |
|---|
| – Algeco’s call center in Peterborough has been receiving numerous inquiries from schools seeking temporary classrooms due to the recent warning about the risks of aerated concrete in schools. – Modular buildings, including converted shipping containers and portable cabins, are popular in various construction projects and are increasingly used for buildings such as budget hotels and coffee shops. – Algeco has seen an increase in inquiries and expects more in the coming days and weeks. |
| – At least 156 schools have been found to have potentially dangerous aerated concrete, and more schools could be affected. |
| – Raac, the type of concrete in question, was used in UK public buildings from the 1950s to 1990s but has been deemed life-expired and liable to collapse. – Algeco and Portakabin are leading modular builders in the UK. – Temporary modular classrooms can be stacked up to four storeys high and come equipped with furniture. |
| – Customers typically have to wait about three weeks for a single temporary classroom. – |
| The concrete safety issues are expected to benefit modular builders like Algeco and Shepherd Group. – |
| Repurposing shipping containers may be necessary due to their ease of transport and alteration. |
| – |
| The concrete crisis coincides with growing demand for portable cabins from infrastructure projects like HS2 and Hinkley Point C. – |
| The Construction Leadership Council is meeting to discuss the industry’s response to the crisis. |
| – Hire companies like Speedy and Ashtead may benefit from increased demand for equipment like heaters for temporary classrooms. |
| – Some schools are using acrow props to stabilize buildings. |
| – Modular construction is part of the long-term solution, but safety issues have been identified. |
| – Several schools have had to close due to structural integrity issues. |
| theguardian.com |
|---|
| – Raac concrete has been deemed “life-expired” and “liable to collapse with little or no notice” by the Health and Safety Executive. – |
| The Department for Education has closed over 100 schools containing Raac concrete due to safety concerns. |
| – Raac has been used widely across Britain, including in universities, military buildings, and government structures. |
| – There may also be privately owned buildings, such as industrial structures, that contain Raac. – |
| The UK is considered a world leader in understanding the long-term implications of Raac as a structural material. – Properly maintained Raac can last up to 50 years and potentially several decades more. |
| – However, improperly installed or damaged Raac can pose a risk. – |
| The urgent task is to identify where Raac is present in buildings and assess its condition. – |
| The NHS has been proactive in addressing Raac in hospital buildings, but the Department for Education has faced challenges in communicating with schools. – |
| There is a limited number of professionals with the expertise to work on Raac. – Dealing with Raac across the country quickly, safely, and effectively could make the UK a model for the rest of the world. |
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