Schools concrete crisis: Houses of Parliament tested for Raac as Scotland releases full school list

Expert explains why Raac is more dangerous than standard concrete

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Rishi Sunak is set to face a brutal grilling at his first PMQs in seven weeks today as Labour is ready to challenge the prime minister on how much he knew about the concrete crisis in schools.

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 now emerged.

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.

Mr Sunak has become embroiled in the row after one of his ministers admitted that the PM approved for 50 schools to be rebuilt a year when he was chancellor – rejecting an application for 200 a year.

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”.

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

Show latest update 1693950359Primary school headteacher reacts to Gillian Keegan’s sweary outburst: ‘I am horrified’

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’

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.”

Eleanor Noyce5 September 2023 22:45

1693948559Roundup of the most notorious hot-mic slip-ups after Gillian Keegan’s sweary outburst

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

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.

Eleanor Noyce5 September 2023 22:15

1693946759Just four schools rebuilt in last two years, government admits as concrete crisis deepens

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”.

Eleanor Noyce5 September 2023 21:45

1693944959Editorial: The education secretary seems to have forgotten who’s been in power for 13 years

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:

Eleanor Noyce5 September 2023 21:15

1693943187Gillian Keegan criticised for opening ‘Pandora’s box’ on Raac crisis

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.”

Eleanor Noyce5 September 2023 20:46

1693941359‘Not helpful to resort to finger-pointing’ over Raac, says Confederation of School Trusts

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.”

Eleanor Noyce5 September 2023 20:15

1693939559Kent theatre closes with immediate effect as work carried out on Raac in roof

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.”

Eleanor Noyce5 September 2023 19:45

1693938959Which schools in Scotland are impacted by Raac?

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.

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.

Eleanor Noyce5 September 2023 19:35

169393865937 schools across Scotland impacted by Raac, Scottish education secretary confirms

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.”

(PA Wire)

Eleanor Noyce5 September 2023 19:30

1693937811Schools in Scotland containing Raac named

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.

Eleanor Noyce5 September 2023 19:16