MPs have warned ageing school buildings and the ongoing RAAC crisis are exposing deep-rooted weaknesses in England’s school estate.
The condition of school buildings has come under scrutiny after the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in hundreds of schools. MPs say decades of underinvestment have left many schools structurally fragile.
In a report published on Wednesday (11th February), the cross-party Education Committee said the use of RAAC in schools revealed wider problems across the system.
RAAC, a lightweight material used extensively between the 1950s and 1990s, became a national concern in 2023 after several buildings previously judged ‘not critical’, collapsed.
Separate research from the Information Commissioner’s Office in 2024, found RAAC in 457 government buildings, including schools, hospitals and prisons – around one in 500 public estates.
The report, which can be read in full here, acknowledges that ministers have made progress in removing and repairing RAAC, but MPs warned the impact on pupils has been significant. Teachers said relying on temporary classrooms, including marquees and modular buildings, is frustrating.
Beyond RAAC, the report highlights broader issues with the school estate. According to the National Audit Office, 38% of school buildings in England were beyond their design life in 2023, including 10,000 built before 1940.
‘Incremental fixes will not suffice,’ the committee said, urging the government to publish its long-term estates strategy. The report calls for clear milestones to tackle the maintenance backlog, replace life-expired buildings and carry out regular surveys of higher-risk structures every three to five years.
The committee also said safety work should be aligned with efforts to make mainstream schools more inclusive for children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND), arguing that all pupils deserve buildings that are both safe and fit for learning.
Helen Hayes, chair of the Education Committee, said: ‘The government has taken significant action to remove and remediate RAAC from England’s schools, but the RAAC crisis has come with a cost for the teachers, parents and most importantly pupils who have suffered serious disruption as a result.’
‘This crisis has laid bare the concerning condition of much of the school estate in England as a consequence of years of underinvestment,’ she continued. ‘While this may require a great deal of work to fix, the quality of school buildings has a significant impact on pupils’ learning and every child deserves to be taught in a safe, secure and fit for purpose school environment.
‘I call on the government to publish its promised strategy for the estate as soon as possible, so we can ensure every child has access to the environment they need to thrive.’
Image: Vladislav Vasilev/UnSplash
In related news:
Failsafe in name: thousands of social homes remain substandard
Leave a Reply