RAAC: No colleges forced to delay start of term, says AoC

Confirmed cases of some colleges with dangerous concrete, but no ‘significant’ closures

Confirmed cases of some colleges with dangerous concrete, but no ‘significant’ closures

No colleges have delayed the start of term due to dangerous “crumbly” concrete, their membership body has said as the RAAC crisis engulfs schools.

Julian Gravatt, deputy chief executive of the Association of Colleges, also said there had been no “significant building closures” for colleges related to concerns around reinforced aerated autoclaved concrete (RAAC), although he is “certain” there will be a few cases where college buildings contain it.

It comes days after the government ordered 104 schools in England to stay closed for the beginning of term, as their buildings are at risk of collapse due to RAAC. It is understood officials learned over the summer of cases where buildings with RAAC collapsed, despite not showing any signs of deterioration.

The concrete was widely used as a lighter alternative to standard concrete between the 1950s and 1980s, but studies have since found the material can become destabilised after installation.

The government has come under heavy criticism for its handling of the presence of RAAC, a problem it has known about for years.

Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, said today that 1,500 schools are yet to complete checks to see if RAAC is in their buildings, meaning the number of schools at risk could be even higher than previously thought.

She committed to publishing a list of the schools and other education providers which have been ordered to close this week.

Gravatt said so far there are “no cases where this has required a significant [general FE college] building closure or a delay to the start of term”, though he admitted the AoC is “certain” RAAC will be present in some cases.

“It can be quite hard to locate RAAC in a building because it is sometimes hidden by cladding but colleges have a good track record in managing their buildings.” He said more than 90 per cent of all colleges had returned RAAC questionnaires to the government this year.

FE Week is aware of at least three colleges where RAAC was found and had to be remediated this year. Some of those were forced to partially close buildings due to the level of risk of collapse, although it is not clear whether those buildings have now been opened.

In an extraordinary intervention this morning, former permanent secretary of the Department for Education Jonathan Slater claimed the government prioritised new free schools over pupil safety and that prime minister Rishi Sunak slashed school rebuilding funding despite knowing about the dangers of RAAC.

Slater said his department had found between 300 and 400 schools had to be rebuilt each year, and that it had put together a plan to double the number of rebuilds to 200 at the 2021 spending review.

However, the government then went ahead with a rebuilding programme of just 50 schools a year, when Sunak was chancellor. Sunak has since denied that was the case.

Also earlier today the education secretary accused others of having “sat on their arse” over the RAAC crisis in schools, and expressed frustration at a lack of gratitude that she had been doing a “f***ing good job”.

Gillian Keegan was still on microphone when she made the comments shortly after an interview with ITV News, which has since circulated the clip on social media.

With the cameras still running, Keegan asked her interviewer: “Does anyone ever say, you know what, you’ve done a f***ing good job because everyone else has sat on their arse and done nothing? No signs of that? No?”

In a subsequent interview, Keegan said she “wasn’t really talking about anyone in particular”, and apologised for using “choice” language.

Latest education roles from

Principal & Chief Executive – Bath College

Principal & Chief Executive – Bath College

Dodd Partners

IT Technician

IT Technician

Harris Academy Morden

Teacher of Geography

Teacher of Geography

Harris Academy Orpington

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Exams Assistant

Exams Assistant

Richmond and Hillcroft Adult & Community College

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

Functional Skills reimagined: Drive success in English & Mathematics with modern qualifications.

In today’s educational landscape, supporting learners with essential English and maths skills goes beyond traditional teaching. It’s about providing...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Do you want to be part of The Bedford College Group’s next chapter?

At The Bedford College Group, we are passionate about transforming lives and communities through education. As one of the...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

It’s Education’s Time to Shine: Celebrate your Education Community in 2025!

The deadline is approaching to nominate a colleague, team, whole school or college for the 2025 Pearson National Teaching...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Framing the future of creative education: new BTEC HTQ in Photography nurtures talent beyond the lens

The creative industry is evolving rapidly, and so is the way we teach photography. Discover how Pearson's new BTEC...

Advertorial

More from this theme

Colleges

Intervention lifted at pandemic-hit City Lit

Principal praises staff and FE Commissioner as college finances recover faster than planned

FE Week Reporter
Colleges

Ban mandatory bikini waxes on beauty students, says mum

A college tutor wrongly claimed a 16-year-old needed to undergo waxing to pass her course

Josh Mellor
Colleges, sixth form colleges

Sixth form college academisation reaches tipping point

But some principals doubt whether the Labour wants new academy conversions

Josh Mellor
Colleges, Politics

Saudis ‘ready to offer decade-long FE tuition deals’ to UK colleges

Fresh tendering round expected to launch this academic year to revive ventures in the kingdom

Billy Camden

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *