Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has been found in more than 200 schools and colleges in England.  

RAAC is a form of lightweight concrete used in construction in many buildings between the 1950s and 1990s. The danger of RAAC is that it is susceptible to deterioration over time, especially in harsh environmental conditions, which can lead to collapses.  

 

It all started popping up in the news in August 2023, when the Department of Education published a list of 214 schools and colleges in England, announcing that they have crumbling concrete. 202 of these schools simply closed the affected areas and continued to provide face-to-face learning for the pupils, however 12 schools had to put hybrid arrangements in place due to the dangers of the material.  

 

But how has this affected the pupils? 

Many schools have had to shut certain sections of the building; for example, the assembly hall, or a few classrooms. Older students are used to the building structure, having been at the school for a few years, but this change affected many year 7s joining the school in September.  

A school in south-east London had to close their hall, gym, canteen, drama studio, and the boys' and girls' toilets! In response to this, the school acquired mobile toilet blocks to be used by the students – not a great start for the new year 7s.  

Nell, a student who had joined the school in September, described it as “really difficult to get used to the building after everything opened again because so much had changed.” As many of us know, getting used to a new place can be scary and tough, but even worse when you must do it twice. “We even had to try doing online learning for a few days in case anything collapsed,” says Nell. 

 

Many schools, including Nell’s, have started to go back to their normal form once the affected areas have been rebuilt, therefore being safe to use. This means that RAAC has not been a large topic in the news for a while, but just recently the first case of RAAC has been found in Northern Ireland. Prior to this, while inspecting England’s schools and colleges, surveys failed to find any traces in school in Northern Ireland. Just like many schools in England, some classes will not be able to return to their school until the end on the week, the school's principal Joanne Currie said in a letter to parents.