Recommendations & Conclusions
16 items
1
Conclusion
7th Report - Foundations of Learning: r…
Acknowledged
Taken together, the RAAC emergency represents more than an isolated safety risk, it is symptomatic of a chronic capital investment deficit. Restoring resilience to the school estate requires sustained, strategic investment, a clear commitment to long-term infrastructure renewal and recognition that the quality of physical environments is an essential pillar …
Government response. The government welcomes the report and states that the committee's findings contribute meaningfully to their wider programme of work.
Department for Education
2
Conclusion
7th Report - Foundations of Learning: r…
Acknowledged
The removal and remediation of RAAC from school buildings has been essential to safeguarding pupils and staff. We recognise the significant progress made by the Government and the Department for Education in identifying affected sites, implementing emergency measures, and committing resources to address this challenge. These efforts have prevented greater …
Government response. The government welcomes the report and states that the committee's findings contribute meaningfully to their wider programme of work.
Department for Education
3
Conclusion
7th Report - Foundations of Learning: r…
Acknowledged
However, the process has not been without cost. For school leaders, teachers, and above all pupils, the experience has been stressful and has affected learning and well-being. In those schools where RAAC remains an ongoing issue, temporary solutions cannot substitute for permanent fixes. (Conclusion, Paragraph 32)
Government response. The government welcomes the report and states that the committee's findings contribute meaningfully to their wider programme of work.
Department for Education
4
Conclusion
7th Report - Foundations of Learning: r…
Acknowledged
We welcome the Government’s pledge that, by the end of this Parliament, every school building containing RAAC will either have had it removed or be in the process of a rebuild. This is an ambitious and necessary commitment. We will continue to monitor progress closely to ensure that this promise …
Government response. The Government welcomes the Education Committee’s Seventh Report and thanks the Committee for its thorough examination of RAAC in schools and for the broader consideration of the condition, management and long- term resilience of the education estate.
Department for Education
5
Conclusion
7th Report - Foundations of Learning: r…
Acknowledged
We recognise the substantial efforts undertaken since 2023 to safeguard pupils and staff, and to restore continuity of learning in settings affected by RAAC. The Department has improved guidance, begun to professionalise 18 estate capability, strengthened resilience arrangements, and committed to greater transparency through the development of a live digital …
Government response. The government welcomes the report and states that the committee's findings contribute meaningfully to their wider programme of work.
Department for Education
6
Recommendation
7th Report - Foundations of Learning: r…
Accepted in Part
The DfE should require all responsible bodies managing potentially problematic structures within the school estate to undertake a structured survey and risk assessment of higher-risk building types at least every three to five years. (Recommendation, Paragraph 39)
Government response. The government partially accepts the recommendation, agreeing that regular surveys are essential and that responsible bodies should have up-to-date condition surveys for their buildings, and that the frequency for updating a condition survey will depend on a building’s characteristics. It …
Department for Education
7
Recommendation
7th Report - Foundations of Learning: r…
Rejected
We further recommend the Government commission a national digital register of asbestos in the education estate and annual reporting on HSE compliance and asbestos removal achieved through capital programmes. (Recommendation, Paragraph 40) Wider concerns about the condition and maintenance of the school estate
Government response. The government does not accept the recommendation as it would duplicate existing legal requirements and require significant resource with no clear indicator that asbestos exposure risks would be improved, and could undermine the active requirement on duty holders to manage …
Department for Education
8
Conclusion
7th Report - Foundations of Learning: r…
Acknowledged
The RAAC crisis highlighted a deeper, systemic issue: the ageing and fragile condition of England’s school estate. RAAC is not the only issue of concern within the wider school estate. While we welcome the Government’s commitment to publish a long-term strategy and its recent steps to improve standards and oversight, …
Government response. The government welcomes the Education Committee's report and states that the committee's findings contribute meaningfully to the Education Estates Strategy, backed by a 10-year plan for a decade of national renewal to transform schools and colleges in England.
Department for Education
9
Conclusion
7th Report - Foundations of Learning: r…
Accepted
Funding should move beyond short-term patching and repairs toward comprehensive upgrades and rebuilds, prioritising schools beyond their design life and those posing the greatest safety risks. (Conclusion, Paragraph 49)
Government response. The Government claims it is already addressing the issue of school funding through the Education Estates Strategy, the School Rebuilding Programme (investing almost £20 billion through to 2034-35, covering 750 schools) and almost £3 billion per year invested by 2034–35 …
Department for Education
10
Recommendation
7th Report - Foundations of Learning: r…
Accepted
The Government should publish and implement its promised estate strategy without delay, setting clear milestones for reducing the maintenance backlog and replacing life-expired buildings. (Recommendation, Paragraph 50)
Government response. The government states that they already published the Education Estates Strategy on 11 February 2026 which sets out clear milestones for implementation and includes detailed milestones in annex A for responsible bodies, schools and colleges.
Department for Education
11
Recommendation
7th Report - Foundations of Learning: r…
Accepted
We recommend that the DfE provide targeted guidance, training, and funding to ensure all responsible bodies, particularly smaller Multi- Academy Trusts, can meet estate management standards effectively. (Recommendation, Paragraph 51)
Government response. The government will set clear estate management standards and expectations, make guidance more accessible, and provide additional materials like a digital self-assessment tool. They will also ask responsible bodies to make an annual return to confirm they are meeting the …
Department for Education
12
Recommendation
7th Report - Foundations of Learning: r…
Accepted
The Government must maintain and publish accurate, up-to-date data on the condition of the school estate, including progress against remediation and rebuild targets, to build public confidence and accountability. (Recommendation, Paragraph 52) 19
Government response. The government accepts the recommendation and will go further on data and digital transformation, building on the consistent and high-quality data collected through the Condition Data Collection Programme; they will also publish common data and digital structures from April 2026 …
Department for Education
13
Conclusion
7th Report - Foundations of Learning: r…
Accepted in Part
System-build schools are a legacy of a different era: built fast, with limited design life, and now ageing under conditions they were never intended to endure. While we welcome the DfE’s proactive research and its early indications of no widespread risk, without deeper structural surveys and enriched information, the Department …
Government response. The department is committed to publishing findings from the Older Buildings Research and will publish a summary of a technical findings and outline the steps we will take to address them.
Department for Education
14
Recommendation
7th Report - Foundations of Learning: r…
Accepted in Part
The DfE should release the full results of its system-build research as soon as they are available and no later than its own timescale of Spring 2026, and set out clear actions based on those findings. (Recommendation, Paragraph 58)
Government response. The department is committed to publishing findings from the Older Buildings Research, with technical findings expected in Spring 2026, and will publish a summary of a technical findings and outline the steps they will take to address them before the …
Department for Education
15
Recommendation
7th Report - Foundations of Learning: r…
Accepted in Part
We recommend that the Government establish a long-term programme to replace or modernise system-built blocks most at risk, aligning investment with safety priorities. (Recommendation, Paragraph 59)
Government response. The government has partially accepted, stating they are investing almost £20 billion in the School Rebuilding Programme through to 2034-35 but do not anticipate including any specific system or construction types as a matter of course.
Department for Education
16
Recommendation
7th Report - Foundations of Learning: r…
Accepted
Reflecting on the Committee’s wider recent work, particularly on SEND, we recommend that the Government seeks to ensure that when investment is being made to address safety concerns and to replace or refurbish the most outdated school buildings, it aligns this expenditure with its objective of ensuring that mainstream schools …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation, stating that they want buildings to be inclusive by design so that all pupils, especially those with SEND, can learn in high-quality, comfortable and supportive environments, and are investing at least £3.7 billion in high …
Department for Education