As our schools and trusts embark on the new term and academic year, educational headlines continue to be dominated by RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) and developing information regarding its sudden impact on the teaching and learning of so many pupils and students across the country.
In this new commissioned Forum article, Marcel Hendricks, Chartered Building Surveyor, and head of the Alliance of Construction Networks, sets out the history of RAAC and its use in post-war buildings in the UK, the current situation with the school estate, the actions required of Responsible Bodies (including trusts) and the financial and future implications of the current crisis.
Introduction
The current condition of our education estate is very much in the national news due to the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) crisis, which has led to a number of schools in England not being able to open for the new Autumn term. The true extent of the problem is still to be determined.
According to the National Audit Office report published in June (2023) the Department for Education (DfE) had identified, by May (2023), 572 schools with a potential RAAC problem; a legacy of England’s education policy history.
