Deadline set to remove crumbling RAAC from schools in England

Phillipson has pledged that every child will learn in a RAAC-free classroom ahead of the next general election, which is expected no later than August 2029.

The Department for Education (DfE) said the programme will see RAAC permanently eliminated from all affected schools and colleges, except those being rebuilt through the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP).

More than half of SRP projects are already under way, with all expected to be in delivery within the same timeframe.

According to the DfE, 237 schools and colleges in England have confirmed cases of RAAC. Of these, 123 will be rebuilt through the SRP, 108 are receiving government grants to fund RAAC removal, and six have made alternative long-term arrangements, including buildings not being part of their estate in the longer term.

The government said 62 schools and colleges have now had RAAC permanently removed.

The announcement follows confirmation of £38bn in education capital investment over the next five years.

More than 100 schools in England were told to close fully or partially in 2023 because their buildings featured RAAC that could suddenly collapse.

RAAC is a lightweight building material used in the UK from the 1950s up to the mid-1990s that has now reached the end of its life. In addition to its presence in some schools, it was also used in the construction of public hospitals and other buildings.