Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 3
3
Accepted
Re-examine DfE's funding process for temporary RAAC mitigation, ensuring accessibility and value for money.
Conclusion
Schools are uncertain about the support they can access to mitigate RAAC-related issues, and how they will be reimbursed financially. The temporary classrooms that DfE is providing will generally be for those schools that were known to be affected by RAAC before the late August 2023 change of risk approach. DfE could not provide us with a figure on how many were being provided. DfE has undertaken to pay for the capital costs incurred by schools, but its approach to revenue funding, and paying for surveys carried out by schools, is less clear, particularly if a school has significant reserves. DfE is still to set the funding application process, but has accepted the need for some checking and controls to be in place. While each school has access to a caseworker, anecdotal evidence suggests that many are struggling to understand DfE’s approach, and are concerned about a lack of fairness in terms of access to temporary support and how that support will be paid for. Recommendation 3: DfE needs to re-examine its process for funding temporary mitigation measures, ensuring it achieves the right balance between accessibility and value for money, communicating this clearly and consistently to schools.
Government Response Summary
The government accepted the recommendation, stating it funds emergency capital works and reasonable revenue costs for RAAC mitigation, provides dedicated caseworkers, and keeps processes under review to ensure accessibility and value for money.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 3.2 The department is funding emergency capital works needed to mitigate the presence of RAAC in schools and colleges in England. This could include installing structural strengthening or temporary buildings. All reasonable requests for additional help with revenue costs, like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall, are being approved. 3.3 Every school or college with confirmed RAAC has been assigned dedicated support from a team of caseworkers. They have worked with them to put in place a bespoke plan that supports face-to-face education for all pupils as soon as possible based on their circumstances and provide support to access funding. 3.4 The department is working closely with responsible bodies to process requests as quickly as possible and ensure processes are not burdensome, while providing proportionate levels of assurance. The department has kept its processes and guidance under review. The department can also arrange urgent payments where necessary, if for example, a responsible body has cash-flow challenges. 3.5 The government has committed to remove RAAC from the school and college estate for good. Schools and colleges have been offered capital grants to fund refurbishment work to permanently remove RAAC, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, including through the School Rebuilding Programme.