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.

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arrangements change quite quickly and so any figure about the number of children not in school settings will soon be out of date.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.