ASCL comment on RAAC removal plan

Responding to information published by the Department for Education about how RAAC is going to be removed from school buildings, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“We welcome this much-needed clarity on the nature of the work to remove RAAC from the schools and colleges affected. This is an important step, but it is only one step towards solving this crisis and a number of unanswered questions remain. Given the severe pressures on the school estate as a whole, we need assurances that this work will be funded wholly through additional capital expenditure and money will not be diverted from other sources. There must also be clear timelines set out for when this work is going to be completed. 

“We continue to urge the government to provide better support for schools while they wait for RAAC to be removed, including through the introduction of a new recovery funding stream to enable catch-up provision for pupils whose learning has been impacted.”