Nine schools on the government’s confirmed RAAC list published today were rejected after being nominated for major rebuilding and refurbishment last year.
There are currently 400 schools on the Department for Education’s School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) announced during 2021-22. The capital funding programme is targeted at school buildings in the “worst condition” across England.
It emerged today that the secondary school Hornsey School for Girls was not selected to receive funds as part of the programme, and has now had to delay the start of its new school term due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), which is prone to collapse.
Scalby School, a secondary in Scarborough; The London Oratory secondary school; and The Appleton secondary school in Essex also were not selected and are currently using a combination of face-to-face and remote learning, according to a list of schools perceived to be at immediate risk from potential RAAC building collapse, published by the DfE today.
Schools can either make block nominations for the SRP, where they nominate specific blocks that need rebuilding, or exceptional case nominations - which include blocks in severe condition that may be forced to close as a result.
RAAC schools turned down for rebuilding funding
Department for Education data shows that more than 1,000 schools were nominated for the SRP during 2022.
These are the nine schools with confirmed RAAC that were not selected for the SRP last year. The DfE data does not include the reasons why the schools originally applied for the programme.
- Anglo European School, Essex - exceptional case
- Bishop Douglass School, Finchley - exceptional case
- Brandhall Primary School, Sandwell - exceptional case
- Hornsey School for Girls - exceptional case
- Scalby School, Scarborough - exceptional case
- The Appleton School, Essex - exceptional case
- The FitzWimarc School, Essex - block nomination
- The London Oratory School, West London - block nomination
- Welbourne Primary School, Haringey - exceptional case
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “It is clear that some schools with RAAC issues have previously been turned down for the current School Rebuilding Programme or missed out on the Building Schools for the Future programme, which was scrapped by the government after 2010.
“It may well be the case that if more schools had been included in these programmes and the number of rebuilds had been greater, these schools might not now be having to cope with huge disruption. Capital funding has been inadequate for many years and this has led to a situation in which investment in school buildings has been rationed rather than following need. It is a disgrace.”
Myton School in Warwick was also not selected for the programme last year, and its head, Andy Perry, told the BBC the school had to delay the start of term due to RAAC. It does not appear on the DfE’s list of schools with confirmed RAAC because the list only includes those that had confirmed the concrete was present as of 30 August.
Schools rebuilding programme scrapped
New analysis from Labour shows that 19 of the schools on the list with confirmed RAAC had been earmarked for projects on the 2010 Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme - which was then scrapped by the Conservatives.
Bridget Phillipson, Labour’s shadow education secretary, said: “The decisions taken by the Conservatives, including the prime minister, have led us to the chaos families are experiencing up and down this country today.
“Conservative ministers, including the current schools minister, did away with Labour’s Building Schools for the Future programme, which would have rebuilt every secondary school in this country.
“And as the schools minister has confirmed, Rishi Sunak halved the number of schools that were to be rebuilt, despite officials pleading with him to deal with many more dangerous buildings.
“The chickens have come home to roost. It is time for the prime minister and this shambolic Conservative government to take responsibility for the mess they have made and get a grip of this crisis.”
The 19 schools with RAAC that were on the BSF are as follows:
- Aston Manor Academy, Birmingham
- Ferryhill School, County Durham
- Carmel College, Darlington
- The Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls, West London
- The Billericay School, Essex
- The Bromfords School, Essex
- The Appleton School, Essex
- The Gilberd School, Essex
- The Thomas Lord Audley School, Essex
- Thurstable School Sports College and Sixth Form Centre, Essex
- Wood Green Academy, West Midlands
- The London Oratory School, West London
- Holy Family Catholic School, Bradford
- Bishop Douglass School, North London
- Batley Girls’ School, Kirklees
- St Andrews, Derby
- Hornsey School, North London
- Park View Academy, North London
The DfE has been contacted for comment.
