At least 30 schools in Scotland found to contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) have been named by councils.
The Scottish government said yesterday that the concrete had been detected in 37 schools but has not named the schools - it says it is for local authorities to publish that information and has urged them to do so “to ensure that parents and staff are reassured”.
Now, an investigation has uncovered the names of 33 of the schools with the potentially dangerous material.
Some 14 local authorities shared data with the PA news agency; five councils were yet to respond to requests for figures, including Scotland’s largest, Glasgow City Council. There are 32 local authorities in Scotland.
City of Edinburgh Council has the highest number of schools with RAAC and said eight across the local authority included the material.
Trinity Primary and Cramond Primary 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 RAAC.
West Lothian Council said the material was present in five schools: St Kentigern’s Academy (Blackburn), Balbardie Primary and Windyknowe Primary (both Bathgate) and Riverside Primary and Knightsridge Primary (both Livingston).
A spokesperson said all areas with the material in its roofs had been closed, with pupils and staff relocated to other areas.
Dundee, Aberdeenshire and Highland Council each said RAAC had been found in two of their schools.
Moray, Inverclyde, Perth and Kinross, North Lanarkshire, and Argyll and Bute Councils all reported one school each with RAAC.
Perth and Kinross Council said that RAAC was found in one property, Perth Grammar School, in February this year. The affected area was closed to students and staff until the panels could be removed over the summer holidays and replaced with a steel-profile roof.
A Moray Council spokesperson said designs for mitigation works at Forres Academy had been completed and a contractor selected to carry out the works shortly.
Stirling Council said no buildings were identified as containing RAAC in a “desktop survey” but a full inspection programme of all educational properties would be carried out.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) was confident that RAAC had not been used in any parts of its school estate. A spokesperson said that to provide 100 per cent certainty, however, further surveys would be carried out over the coming months at schools and other buildings.
East Dunbartonshire said no schools had been identified as containing RAAC but further investigations had been ordered to confirm the position across the estate.
Councils said no schools were affected in Fife, Angus, the Orkney Islands, Renfrewshire or East Renfrewshire.
Shirley-Anne Somerville - who became social justice secretary in March after serving as education secretary since May 2021 - said in the Scottish Parliament yesterday that 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.”
The schools where RAAC have been found are:
Perth and Kinross - Perth Grammar
West Lothian Council - St Kentigern’s Academy, Balbardie Primary, Windyknowe Primary, Riverside Primary, Knightsridge Primary
Highland Council - Charleston Academy, Nairn Academy
Moray - Forres Academy
Inverclyde Council - one unnamed school
Aberdeenshire Council - Mackie Academy, Westhill Academy
North Lanarkshire Council - one unnamed school
East Lothian Council - Preston Lodge High
Argyll and Bute Council - John Logie Baird Primary
Aberdeen - Abbotswell Primary, Cornhill Primary, Hazlehead Academy, Northfield Academy, Quarryhill Primary, St Machar Academy, Westpark School
Edinburgh - Pentland Primary, Fox Covert Primary and St Andrews Fox Covert RC Primary (one site), Colinton Primary, Currie High, Lorne Primary, Cramond Primary, Trinity Primary
Dundee - Ardler Primary, St Fergus Primary
North Ayrshire Council - Ardrossan Academy
