Online Education Secretary defends school concrete crisis

       TABLE OF CONTENT Where are the RAAC affected schools? What is RAAC and why is it so dangerous?

       More than 150 school buildings in England were identified as having a potentially dangerous type of concrete on site, the Department for Education (DfE) confirmed last week.

       Known as reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), the material was used to build schools and colleges between the Fifties and Seventies but has since been ruled to be dangerous.

       On Monday, as the new school year began, classrooms across the country remained empty as safety checks and reinforcement work were carried out.

       Education secretary Gillian Keegan told BBC Breakfast that the total number of cases “could be hundreds” as full survey results are yet to come back.

       The Government has resisted calls to publish the list of affected schools, saying it wanted to hear from headteachers and principals about closures first.

       READ MORE: Nigel Farage blasts Gillian Keegan as 'another over promoted politician' in rant

       A number of classrooms at Hornsey School for Girls are currently being reinforced due to RAAC (Image: GETTY)

       An estimated 24 schools in England have been told to shut down completely due to the presence of RAAC.

       Contacting schools directly, the BBC has been compiling a list of schools identified as at-risk.

       These include St James Catholic Primary School in Hebburn, Tyne and Wear, which is understood to have been vacated entirely, Aston Manor Academy in Birmingham, where no pupils are expected on-site until September 11 at the earliest, and Honywood School in Colchester, Essex, where 22 classrooms have been closed and remote learning is in place.

       With the currently available information, Express.co.uk has created a map and table you can search to find affected schools in your area. These will be updated daily as further details emerge.

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       Where are the RAAC affected schools?

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       Confederation of School Trusts Chief Executive Leora Cruddas CBE said: “This is a very serious situation and it couldn’t be more disruptive at the start of a new academic year. However, children’s safety must come first so the government is right to proceed with caution.

       “It is absolutely imperative that the operational response from the DfE is as strong as possible and that this gets schools and trusts the help they need in these extremely challenging circumstances.”

       On Monday morning, Ms Keegan added that around ten percent – or roughly 1,500 English schools – were yet to return the surveys sent out by the DfE to identify the presence of RAAC in buildings.

       According to responses so far, just one percent of schools returning the questionnaire found the material.

       On Sunday, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the Government would “spend what it takes” to make schools safe.

       Are schools in your area affected?

       What is RAAC and why is it so dangerous?

       RAAC is cheap and easy to install, its “bubbly” structure has now been found to be more vulnerable to structural failure if moisture is allowed to penetrate.

       The Standing Committee on Structural Safety (SCOSS) noted that: "Although called 'concrete', RAAC is very different from traditional concrete and, because of the way in which it was made, much weaker."

       Following new guidance, the Health and Safety Executive says RAAC is now beyond its lifespan and may "collapse with little or no notice".

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