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Select committee: Education Committee

Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and management of school estates

Open Opened 14 Oct 2025 8 recommendations 8 conclusions

Education Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
This one off session follows up the RAAC crisis in schools in the summer of 2023 and the work that followed by DfE and schools to remediate faulty end-of-life concrete in school buildings. It will also look into school estate management more broadly to consider other problems within the built environment of schools and what steps are needed to address these.

Where it stands

The inquiry is open, opened 14 October 2025.

The committee has published 1 report, most recently 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and securing school buildings on 11 February 2026.

The government's response

Published 17 April 2026. The deadline was 11 April 2026.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government accepts some of the Committee's recommendations, partially accepts others and does not accept the call for a national digital asbestos register, and says it has already published the Education Estates Strategy.

  • On asbestos, the government "do[es] not accept" a national digital register, saying it would duplicate existing information, require "significant resource" and could "undermine the active requirement on duty holders". HSE is exploring a census/survey approach, initially covering the central Government estate.
  • It partially accepts the recommendations on risk surveys and on a long-term programme for system-built blocks. For the latter it states it does "not anticipate including any specific system or construction types as a matter of course".
  • It accepts the recommendations on supporting responsible bodies, on data and on SEND inclusion. From autumn 2026 it will ask responsible bodies to make an annual return confirming they meet the School Estate Management Standards.
  • On RAAC, it commits that by 2029 every school and college not being substantially rebuilt "will be RAAC-free". It will publish a summary of the Older Buildings Research technical findings "Before the summer".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Recommendations and conclusions

All 16 recommendations and conclusions

Reports

All reports

Evidence

  • 1 oral evidence sessionLatest 28 October 2025
  • 7 witnesses
All evidence

Recent activity

Recommendations and conclusions 16 shown

1: RAAC emergency reveals chronic capital investment deficit across the school estate.

Conclusion · 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and securing school buildings · Addressed to Department for Education

Concluded (the committee's words)
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 of educational success. (Conclusion, Paragraph 6) RAAC in schools

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2: Government made significant progress identifying and remediating RAAC in school buildings.

Conclusion · 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and securing school buildings · Addressed to Department for Education

Concluded (the committee's words)
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 disruption and ensured that most children have been able to continue learning safely. (Conclusion, Paragraph 31)

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3: RAAC remediation caused stress and learning disruption; temporary fixes are inadequate.

Conclusion · 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and securing school buildings · Addressed to Department for Education

Concluded (the committee's words)
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)

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4: Government pledges RAAC removal or rebuild for all affected schools by Parliament's end.

Conclusion · 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and securing school buildings · Addressed to Department for Education

Concluded (the committee's words)
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 is met and that the lessons of the RAAC crisis lead to a stronger, safer school estate for the future. (Conclusion, Paragraph 33)

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5: DfE made advances in RAAC response, but sustained implementation is still required.

Conclusion · 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and securing school buildings · Addressed to Department for Education

Concluded (the committee's words)
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 platform. These are important advances. However, further consolidation and sustained implementation are required. (Conclusion, Paragraph 38)

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6: Require all school bodies to undertake structured surveys and risk assessments of higher-risk buildings.

Recommendation · 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and securing school buildings · Addressed to Department for Education

Recommended (the committee's words)
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)

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7: Commission a national digital register of asbestos in education estate with annual compliance reporting.

Recommendation · 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and securing school buildings · Addressed to Department for Education

Recommended (the committee's words)
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

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8: RAAC crisis highlights ageing, fragile school estate requiring more than incremental fixes.

Conclusion · 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and securing school buildings · Addressed to Department for Education

Concluded (the committee's words)
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, the evidence is clear that incremental fixes will not suffice. A significant proportion of school buildings are beyond their design life, and the risks though managed remain real. (Conclusion, Paragraph 48)

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9: Shift funding from short-term repairs to comprehensive upgrades and rebuilds for high-risk schools.

Conclusion · 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and securing school buildings · Addressed to Department for Education

Concluded (the committee's words)
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)

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10: Publish and implement the promised estate strategy to reduce maintenance backlog and replace school buildings.

Recommendation · 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and securing school buildings · Addressed to Department for Education

Recommended (the committee's words)
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)

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11: Provide targeted guidance, training, and funding for all responsible bodies to meet estate management standards.

Recommendation · 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and securing school buildings · Addressed to Department for Education

Recommended (the committee's words)
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)

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12: Maintain and publish accurate, up-to-date data on the school estate's condition and progress.

Recommendation · 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and securing school buildings · Addressed to Department for Education

Recommended (the committee's words)
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

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13: Ageing system-build schools pose hidden risks without deeper structural surveys and enriched information.

Conclusion · 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and securing school buildings · Addressed to Department for Education

Concluded (the committee's words)
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 and responsible bodies cannot guarantee that hidden risks are fully understood or mitigated. (Conclusion, Paragraph 57)

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14: Release full system-build research results and set clear actions based on those findings promptly.

Recommendation · 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and securing school buildings · Addressed to Department for Education

Recommended (the committee's words)
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)

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15: Establish a long-term programme to replace or modernise high-risk system-built school blocks.

Recommendation · 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and securing school buildings · Addressed to Department for Education

Recommended (the committee's words)
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)

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16: Align school building investment with SEND inclusion to create excellent learning environments.

Recommendation · 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and securing school buildings · Addressed to Department for Education

Recommended (the committee's words)
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 are inclusive of children with SEND and ensures that all investment delivers school buildings which are inclusive for children with a wide range of SEND needs and provide an excellent learning environment for all children. (Recommendation, Paragraph 60) 20

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Reports

1 report

Oral evidence sessions

1 session

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Date Session and witnesses Source
28 Oct 2025
Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) and the management of school estates
Bryony Green · Aldridge Education, Dr Jonathan Dewsbury · Department for Education, Josh Macalister OBE MP · Department for Education, Mr Andy Walls · NAHT - The school leaders' union, Mr Patrick Hayes · The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), Professor Chris Goodier · Loughborough University, Rob Thomas · The Educational Building and Development Officers Group of local authorities 		View ↗

Who gave evidence

7 witnesses

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WitnessOrganisationSessions
Bryony Green · Chief Operating Officer Aldridge Education 1
Dr Jonathan Dewsbury · Director of Education Estates and Net Zero Department for Education 1
Josh Macalister OBE MP · Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Children and Families) Department for Education 1
Mr Andy Walls · Educational Adviser NAHT - The school leaders' union 1
Mr Patrick Hayes · Technical Director The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) 1
Professor Chris Goodier · Professor of Construction and Materials Loughborough University 1
Rob Thomas · Co-Chair The Educational Building and Development Officers Group of local authorities 1