You may have seen in the news that ministers have asked 104 schools that were constructed using Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) to vacate the building or use temporary accommodation until safety works can be carried out.
Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete is less durable than reinforced concrete and deteriorates over time, so is susceptible to sudden failure. It has a life expectancy of little more than 30 years which means that buildings constructed from the 1950s to 1990s that have not been checked by structural engineers are at risk of collapse.
The Government has been monitoring the condition of public sector buildings containing Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete since 2018. Just over 50 settings have already been supported to put mitigations in place and this week 104 schools were contacted.
The situation in North Yorkshire
We have one school in North Yorkshire - Scalby School (an academy) in Scarborough that has been asked to close the buildings affected. The school is required to make suitable arrangements to continue the education of their 1000 pupils until safety work can be carried out.
Scalby School is the only school in North Yorkshire on the current DfE list of 104 schools affected. On all the North Yorkshire LA maintained school sites surveyed to date no RAAC has been found.
Our priority is the safety of our children and all staff working in schools.
We are working closely with Coast and Vale Learning Trust who oversees Scalby School to ensure they can deliver education with minimal disruption. We will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with the Trust and the Department of Education.
Most schools will be unaffected, and children should attend school as normal. Any school affected by RAAC will contact parents directly.