Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the date when all reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete will have been removed from special schools in England.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It is the responsibility of those who run schools - academy trusts, Local Authorities and voluntary aided school bodies - to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert the Department if there is a serious concern with a building. It has always been the case that where the Department is made aware a building may pose an immediate risk, immediate action is taken.
An updated list of schools and colleges with confirmed cases of RAAC was published on 19 October, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-management-information. This contains a summary of the number of schools and colleges with confirmed RAAC and the status of education in place at these schools and colleges at the specified date. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. At the time of publication, none of the schools with remote education arrangements in place were special schools.
The Department is focused on ensuring schools are supported to put in place immediate measures to enable face to face teaching. The longer-term requirements of each school or college with RAAC will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. The Department will work closely with responsible bodies to understand and assess requirements in detail and offer appropriate support.
The varying contexts of specialist provision mean special schools may require different solutions if RAAC is confirmed. A caseworker from the Department will be able to discuss the support they might need and mitigations they are putting in place. The Department recognises that some pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including those in alternative provision, may find it more difficult to adapt to change and require additional support to transition to emergency accommodation or longer-term temporary accommodation. If pupils or students in a special school need to be taught in emergency or temporary accommodation, head teachers and staff are best placed to know how their needs can most effectively continue to be met.
The Department’s priority is that pupils remain in face to face education or can return to it as soon as possible. The Department will provide funding for all mitigation works that are capital funded. This includes propping and temporary units on the estate. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, such as transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, all reasonable requests will be approved.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in alternative provision educational settings by region.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It is the responsibility of those who run schools - academy trusts, Local Authorities and voluntary aided school bodies - to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert the Department if there is a serious concern with a building. It has always been the case that where the Department is made aware a building may pose an immediate risk, immediate action is taken.
An updated list of schools and colleges with confirmed cases of RAAC was published on 19 October, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-management-information. This contains a summary of the number of schools and colleges with confirmed RAAC and the status of education in place at these schools and colleges at the specified date. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. At the time of publication, none of the schools with remote education arrangements in place were special schools.
The Department is focused on ensuring schools are supported to put in place immediate measures to enable face to face teaching. The longer-term requirements of each school or college with RAAC will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. The Department will work closely with responsible bodies to understand and assess requirements in detail and offer appropriate support.
The varying contexts of specialist provision mean special schools may require different solutions if RAAC is confirmed. A caseworker from the Department will be able to discuss the support they might need and mitigations they are putting in place. The Department recognises that some pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including those in alternative provision, may find it more difficult to adapt to change and require additional support to transition to emergency accommodation or longer-term temporary accommodation. If pupils or students in a special school need to be taught in emergency or temporary accommodation, head teachers and staff are best placed to know how their needs can most effectively continue to be met.
The Department’s priority is that pupils remain in face to face education or can return to it as soon as possible. The Department will provide funding for all mitigation works that are capital funded. This includes propping and temporary units on the estate. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, such as transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, all reasonable requests will be approved.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support children with special educational needs and disabilities in schools that have reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It is the responsibility of those who run schools - academy trusts, Local Authorities and voluntary aided school bodies - to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert the Department if there is a serious concern with a building. It has always been the case that where the Department is made aware a building may pose an immediate risk, immediate action is taken.
An updated list of schools and colleges with confirmed cases of RAAC was published on 19 October, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-management-information. This contains a summary of the number of schools and colleges with confirmed RAAC and the status of education in place at these schools and colleges at the specified date. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. At the time of publication, none of the schools with remote education arrangements in place were special schools.
The Department is focused on ensuring schools are supported to put in place immediate measures to enable face to face teaching. The longer-term requirements of each school or college with RAAC will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. The Department will work closely with responsible bodies to understand and assess requirements in detail and offer appropriate support.
The varying contexts of specialist provision mean special schools may require different solutions if RAAC is confirmed. A caseworker from the Department will be able to discuss the support they might need and mitigations they are putting in place. The Department recognises that some pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including those in alternative provision, may find it more difficult to adapt to change and require additional support to transition to emergency accommodation or longer-term temporary accommodation. If pupils or students in a special school need to be taught in emergency or temporary accommodation, head teachers and staff are best placed to know how their needs can most effectively continue to be met.
The Department’s priority is that pupils remain in face to face education or can return to it as soon as possible. The Department will provide funding for all mitigation works that are capital funded. This includes propping and temporary units on the estate. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, such as transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, all reasonable requests will be approved.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in special schools by region.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It is the responsibility of those who run schools - academy trusts, Local Authorities and voluntary aided school bodies - to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert the Department if there is a serious concern with a building. It has always been the case that where the Department is made aware a building may pose an immediate risk, immediate action is taken.
An updated list of schools and colleges with confirmed cases of RAAC was published on 19 October, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-management-information. This contains a summary of the number of schools and colleges with confirmed RAAC and the status of education in place at these schools and colleges at the specified date. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. At the time of publication, none of the schools with remote education arrangements in place were special schools.
The Department is focused on ensuring schools are supported to put in place immediate measures to enable face to face teaching. The longer-term requirements of each school or college with RAAC will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. The Department will work closely with responsible bodies to understand and assess requirements in detail and offer appropriate support.
The varying contexts of specialist provision mean special schools may require different solutions if RAAC is confirmed. A caseworker from the Department will be able to discuss the support they might need and mitigations they are putting in place. The Department recognises that some pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including those in alternative provision, may find it more difficult to adapt to change and require additional support to transition to emergency accommodation or longer-term temporary accommodation. If pupils or students in a special school need to be taught in emergency or temporary accommodation, head teachers and staff are best placed to know how their needs can most effectively continue to be met.
The Department’s priority is that pupils remain in face to face education or can return to it as soon as possible. The Department will provide funding for all mitigation works that are capital funded. This includes propping and temporary units on the estate. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, such as transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, all reasonable requests will be approved.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost to the public purse has been of school building repairs in each year since 2019.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It is the responsibility of those who run schools - academy trusts, Local Authorities and voluntary aided school bodies - to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert the Department if there is a serious concern with a building. It has always been the case that where the Department is made aware of a building that may pose an immediate risk, immediate action is taken.
The Department will spend what it takes to keep children safe. This includes paying for the emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including alternative classroom space where necessary, and supporting schools with remedial works – this is the Department’s immediate focus. Where schools need additional help with revenue costs like transport to other locations, the Department is actively engaging with every school affected to put appropriate support in place. The Department expects to fund all reasonable revenue costs related to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). It will also fund refurbishment projects, or rebuilding projects where needed, to rectify RAAC for the long term.
The Department is providing funding to improve the condition of the school estate, with over £15 billion allocated since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed for 2023/24. This funding is informed by consistent data on the condition of the estate. On top of this, the Department will transform 500 schools through its School Rebuilding Programme, prioritising buildings in the poorest condition and those with evidence of potential safety issues.
Local authorities, larger multi academy trusts and larger voluntary aided school bodies are eligible to receive an annual School Condition Allocation (SCA) for maintaining and improving the condition of the schools for which they are responsible. Small and standalone academy trusts, small voluntary aided school bodies and sixth-form colleges are instead able to bid into the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) each year for specific capital projects to improve the condition of their buildings. Further details are available at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/condition-improvement-fund. Schools also receive Devolved Formula Capital (DFC) each year to spend on small capital projects or contribute to larger projects. As part of the overall condition funding allocated, the Department has provided one off allocations in some years. This includes £560 million in 2020/21 allocated through SCA and CIF, as well as £447 million allocated in 2022/23 to improve buildings prioritising energy efficiency.
Details of SCA and DFC, as well as overall funding for the Condition Improvement Fund, for the current financial year are available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding#funding-allocations-for-the-2022-to-2023-financial-year; and for previous years, including one off allocations, at: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/*/https:/www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-allocations.
The figures do not include capital funding for the Department’s rebuilding programmes, which are delivering rebuilt and refurbished school buildings across the country.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether there will be Barnett consequentials associated with the additional expenditure associated with remedying Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It is the responsibility of those who run schools - academy trusts, Local Authorities and voluntary-aided school bodies - to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert the Department if there is a serious concern with a building. It has always been the case that where the Department is made aware a building may pose an immediate risk, immediate action is taken.
The Department will spend what it takes to keep children safe. The Department will fund emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, all reasonable requests will be approved. The Department will also fund longer term refurbishment projects, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, to rectify the RAAC issue in the long term.
The Department has committed £1.8 billion of capital funding for the 2023/4 financial year to improve the condition of school buildings, as part of over £15 billion allocated since 2015. On top of this, the Department will transform 500 schools through our School Rebuilding Programme, prioritising buildings in the poorest condition. Currently, 400 schools have been announced to date.
The Department is committed to working collaboratively with our devolved administration counterparts on this issue, and the Barnett formula will continue to apply in the usual way to any change in the Government Departmental budget.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the spreadsheet Education settings with confirmed RAAC and mitigations in place as of 14 September 2023, published by her Department on 19 September 2023, how many state-funded education settings where reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete is confirmed to be present are providing face-to-face education (a) by sending pupils to other school sites and (b) teaching pupils in (i) church and village halls and (ii) other non-educational premises as of 14 September 2023.
Answered by Nick Gibb
An updated list of schools and colleges with confirmed cases of RAAC was published on 19 October, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-management-information.
The Department is providing significant support to schools and colleges to ensure children remain in face to face education or are returned to it as soon as possible. This includes providing all schools and colleges where RAAC is confirmed with a dedicated caseworker to work with them to assess what support is needed and implement mitigations plans that are right for them. Mitigation plans could include other spaces on the school site, or in nearby schools or elsewhere in the local area, until structural works are carried out or temporary buildings are installed. A bespoke plan is put in place to ensure that each school and college receives the support that suits their circumstances with a clear focus on getting children back to full time face to face education as quickly as possible. These arrangements change quite quickly and so any figure about the number of children not in school settings will soon be out of date.
Project delivery teams are on site to support schools and colleges to minimise the disruption to children and young people’s education, whether that is finding short term accommodation options or designing and putting in place structural solutions for affected spaces.
The Department is also funding emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall, this should be discussed with their caseworker. The Department expects that all reasonable requests will be approved.
Where a school or college has insufficient on site accommodation once the areas with RAAC are taken out of use and alternative off site emergency or longer term temporary accommodation is required, the Local Authority and school or college is responsible for making alternative arrangements and should agree this with parents of affected pupils and students. In many cases, pupils and students will be able to remain on the roll of their existing education setting, even if they are in emergency or longer term temporary accommodation on a different school site.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her oral contribution of Monday 4 September 2023 on Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete in Education Settings, Offical Report, column 52, whether Stepney All Saints School was one of the 52 schools with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete mitigations in place.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It is the responsibility of those who run schools - academy trusts, Local Authorities and voluntary-aided school bodies - to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert the Department if there is a serious concern with a building. It has always been the case that where the Department is made aware a building may pose an immediate risk, immediate action is taken.
The Department’s focus is on supporting schools and colleges to put in place suitable mitigations to minimise disruption to learning. Mitigation plans could include carrying out structural work so the space can continue to be used, or taking the space out of use, using other spaces on the school site, or in nearby schools or elsewhere in the local area, until structural supports or temporary buildings are installed. Mitigations depend on a number of factors including type of building, building use and the extent of RAAC in the space.
The supply of temporary buildings has been increased and the Department has been working with three contractors, to accelerate the installation of these. The Department also met key water and utility companies between 30 August and 5 September 2023 to ensure the easy connection to temporary services. The Department has secured significant capacity to meet current needs and can increase this if necessary. The Government will fund the emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary.
Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, such as transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, all reasonable requests will be approved.
The Department will work with responsible bodies, surveyors and technical advisors to establish a longer-term permanent resolution to the RAAC, and will fund the completion of that work, including rebuilding where necessary.
Stepney All Saints School was not one of the 52 schools with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete mitigations in place referenced in the oral contribution of Monday 4 September 2023. It was included in the list of schools and colleges with confirmed cases of RAAC as of 14 September, as published on 19 September. An updated list was published on 19 October available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-management-information. This contains a summary of the number of settings with confirmed RAAC and the status of education in place at these settings at the specified date.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of mitigations for reinforced autoclave aerated concrete in schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It is the responsibility of those who run schools - academy trusts, Local Authorities and voluntary-aided school bodies - to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert the Department if there is a serious concern with a building. It has always been the case that where the Department is made aware a building may pose an immediate risk, immediate action is taken.
The Department’s focus is on supporting schools and colleges to put in place suitable mitigations to minimise disruption to learning. Mitigation plans could include carrying out structural work so the space can continue to be used, or taking the space out of use, using other spaces on the school site, or in nearby schools or elsewhere in the local area, until structural supports or temporary buildings are installed. Mitigations depend on a number of factors including type of building, building use and the extent of RAAC in the space.
The supply of temporary buildings has been increased and the Department has been working with three contractors, to accelerate the installation of these. The Department also met key water and utility companies between 30 August and 5 September 2023 to ensure the easy connection to temporary services. The Department has secured significant capacity to meet current needs and can increase this if necessary. The Government will fund the emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary.
Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, such as transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, all reasonable requests will be approved.
The Department will work with responsible bodies, surveyors and technical advisors to establish a longer-term permanent resolution to the RAAC, and will fund the completion of that work, including rebuilding where necessary.
Stepney All Saints School was not one of the 52 schools with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete mitigations in place referenced in the oral contribution of Monday 4 September 2023. It was included in the list of schools and colleges with confirmed cases of RAAC as of 14 September, as published on 19 September. An updated list was published on 19 October available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-management-information. This contains a summary of the number of settings with confirmed RAAC and the status of education in place at these settings at the specified date.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools have each type of mitigation for reinforced autoclave aerated concrete in place.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It is the responsibility of those who run schools - academy trusts, Local Authorities and voluntary-aided school bodies - to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert the Department if there is a serious concern with a building. It has always been the case that where the Department is made aware a building may pose an immediate risk, immediate action is taken.
The Department’s focus is on supporting schools and colleges to put in place suitable mitigations to minimise disruption to learning. Mitigation plans could include carrying out structural work so the space can continue to be used, or taking the space out of use, using other spaces on the school site, or in nearby schools or elsewhere in the local area, until structural supports or temporary buildings are installed. Mitigations depend on a number of factors including type of building, building use and the extent of RAAC in the space.
The supply of temporary buildings has been increased and the Department has been working with three contractors, to accelerate the installation of these. The Department also met key water and utility companies between 30 August and 5 September 2023 to ensure the easy connection to temporary services. The Department has secured significant capacity to meet current needs and can increase this if necessary. The Government will fund the emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary.
Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, such as transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, all reasonable requests will be approved.
The Department will work with responsible bodies, surveyors and technical advisors to establish a longer-term permanent resolution to the RAAC, and will fund the completion of that work, including rebuilding where necessary.
Stepney All Saints School was not one of the 52 schools with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete mitigations in place referenced in the oral contribution of Monday 4 September 2023. It was included in the list of schools and colleges with confirmed cases of RAAC as of 14 September, as published on 19 September. An updated list was published on 19 October available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-management-information. This contains a summary of the number of settings with confirmed RAAC and the status of education in place at these settings at the specified date.