Two schools on Anglesey known to contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) are to remain closed so that further safety inspections can be carried out and alternative planning can take place, the Welsh government has said.
The schools - Ysgol David Hughes and Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi - were due to reopen tomorrow and the Welsh government has acknowledged the closures will be “extremely difficult for parents and carers at such short notice”.
However, in a statement today Jeremy Miles, the minister for education and Welsh language, blamed the UK government, which he accused of failing to share new evidence about the increased risk of RAAC that emerged over the summer.
He said the Welsh government had attended a cross-government working group on RAAC on 24 August and “no new evidence in respect of RAAC risks or its management were raised at this meeting”.
He said it was not until last night - “the night before the first day back of term” - that any new evidence had been shared in writing, “despite repeated requests”.
Mr Miles said some information had also been shared verbally on 1 September, but that even now the information received from the Department for Education (DfE) remained “incomplete” and the Welsh government did not know “the full rationale for the DfE’s sudden policy change towards the management of RAAC in schools”.
Last week it emerged that the DfE in England had advised more than 100 schools to vacate all buildings containing RAAC days before the start of the new term.
In his statement, Mr Miles said: “On 31 August 2023 the UK government announced new guidance on RAAC in education settings. Since then, UK government ministers have repeatedly stated that a number of incidents happened over the summer period which led to there being a heightened safety risk regarding the usage of RAAC. At no point was this new evidence flagged to the Welsh government.
“During discussions on 1 September, the UK government verbally shared some of this new evidence. Despite repeated requests, we were not sent the new evidence in writing until last night.
“Last night (Sunday) at 18.57, the UK government sent some of the evidence that we have repeatedly requested. It is hugely regrettable that the evidence that has apparently been developed over the summer has been withheld until the night before the first day back of term. It is also incomplete, leaving us without the full rationale for the DfE’s sudden policy change towards the management of RAAC in schools.”
He added: “We continue to request detailed structural engineer reports that clearly set out the timeline and technical analysis of events leading up to last Thursday’s announcement of school closures. This can then be reviewed by officials and shared with local authorities who have statutory responsibility for school buildings in Wales.”
Mr Miles also said the Welsh government planned to take a different approach to handling the new risk.
“The approach in Wales differs from that of the DfE - who are currently asking schools directly to undertake the initial assessment for the presence of RAAC - but we feel that the delivery timeline in Wales is likely to be not too dissimilar to that of the DfE and other UK governments,” he said.
Following a two-week review of the latest position, the Welsh government would “engage with specialist structural engineers to work at pace with local authorities and further education institutions in Wales in undertaking urgent appraisal of any newly identified instances as to the presence of RAAC in education buildings”. This work would be completed “by the end of December”.
Mr Miles said: “While this will be extremely difficult for parents and carers at such short notice, the health and safety of learners, teachers, staff, parents and carers remains the key priority. Indeed, we share the frustration at this unfortunate situation which both the Welsh government and Ynys Mon [Anglesey] faced in light of the new information received from the DfE only yesterday evening.”
The UK government has been contacted for comment.
