Officials are making hurried calls urging school leaders to draw up contingency plans for buildings at risk of collapse because of crumbling concrete, the Guardian has learned.
Department for Education documents show that staff have been instructed to contact leaders of England’s schools and academies to check they are prepared to evacuate buildings constructed from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) at short notice, and relocate pupils to alternatives such as portable accommodation or even other schools in their area.
While the dangers of ageing RAAC buildings have been highlighted since a 2018 roof collapse at a primary school in Kent, the DfE’s ring-round comes only a few days before the start of the new school year in England.
Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, said: “This is shocking evidence of a department in disarray. With days to go before the start of term and despite knowing about the potential risks posed by reinforced aerated autoclave concrete for months, [ministers] are now phoning schools to ask them if they are ready to close, further disrupting children’s education.
“The education secretary needs to tell parents how many schools are affected, whether their children are safe at school, and just what on earth is going on.”
Julie McCulloch, the director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “The fact that officials are rushing around days before the beginning of the new term making calls to schools about contingency plans in case buildings collapse is symptomatic of the government’s neglect of the school estate.
