The record of colleges and schools the place the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) was confirmed by 30 August has been revealed by the Department for Education as we speak (Wednesday 6 September). The overwhelming majority of college stay unaffected.
Thanks to the laborious work of training leaders and native councils, nearly all of settings have already been in a position to put mitigations in place to open on time, with 104 settings offering face-to-face studying for all pupils this week.
An extra 20 settings have put hybrid preparations in place, with some pupils studying off-site, while 19 have delayed the beginning of time period by a couple of days to make sure pupils can return to face-to-face studying safely on website. Settings providing distant studying are anticipated to take action for a really quick time frame, normally for a matter of days.
Only a really small quantity, 4, have wanted to maneuver to distant studying for a brief time frame. 9 settings have since been discovered to not have RAAC.
The division has offered a devoted caseworker for each faculty and faculty with confirmed RAAC, to supply tailor-made help together with when face-to-face studying is in place. Funding for emergency mitigation work, together with structural help and momentary lodging, will even be accessible.
The division has obtained responses regarding 95% of colleges constructed within the interval the place RAAC was used. Figures revealed as we speak are prone to change over time as the ultimate 5% return their questionnaires and surveys are carried out. Some will likely be added to the record of confirmed instances whereas others are resolved or discovered to be secure following additional investigation.
Any accountable physique or faculty that has notified the Department of suspected RAAC will likely be surveyed throughout the coming weeks and supported to place mitigations in place.
Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, stated:
I do know that is the final manner dad and mom, academics and kids affected by this wished to begin the brand new time period, however it would at all times be my precedence to make sure the security of pupils and employees.
Thanks to the laborious work of colleges, schools, councils, diocese and academy trusts, nearly all of settings the place RAAC has been confirmed have opened to all pupils for the beginning of time period.
We will proceed to help all impacted settings in no matter manner we are able to, whether or not that’s by our crew of devoted caseworkers or by capital funding to place mitigations in place.
We are additionally expediting surveys and urging all accountable our bodies to inform us what they find out about RAAC, so we may be assured that settings are secure and supported.
The publication of the record follows the precautionary and proactive resolution by the division to ask settings to vacate any house or building know to comprise RAAC. The authorities elevated the provision of momentary buildings, working with three nationwide contractors, and accelerated the set up of those. Leading utility corporations are additionally supporting to make sure that these lecture rooms may be opened.
On funding, the Chancellor has confirmed that the federal government will spend no matter it takes to maintain youngsters secure. This consists of paying for the emergency mitigation work, together with various classroom house the place essential.
The division has dedicated £1.8 billion in capital funding this 12 months to help colleges to remain operational, while 500 colleges will even be remodeled over the following decade by the School Rebuilding Programme. An extra £1.5 billion has been made accessible for schools by the Further Education capital transformation fund.
This week, the Department for Education has additionally written to a small variety of accountable our bodies, together with native authorities and multi-academy trusts, who haven’t but knowledgeable the division concerning the presence of RAAC of their faculty buildings. The division has requested all accountable our bodies to answer its questionnaire concerning the situation of RAAC by the tip of the week.
*(RAAC): Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
