Schools: Closures

(asked on 7th November 2023) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 21 February 2023 to Question 140337 on Schools: Closures, how many additional state-funded schools have (a) temporarily or (b) permanently closed (i) all or (ii) part of their school site because one or more buildings were deemed unsafe in the period since February 2023; and which schools have been affected.


Answered by
Damian Hinds Portrait
Damian Hinds
Minister of State (Education)
This question was answered on 7th December 2023

It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, local authorities and voluntary aided school bodies – to manage the maintenance of their schools and alert the department if there is a concern with a building. Local authorities and academy trusts do not need to report building closures to the department; therefore the department does not hold this data. The department does provide support on a case by case basis, working with the sector if it is alerted to a serious safety issue.

The government published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC as of 16 October 2023. The list is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-management-information.

The department always puts the safety and wellbeing of children and staff in schools and colleges at the heart of its policy decisions.

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