Select Committee · Education Committee

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

Status: Open Opened: 14 Oct 2025 8 recommendations 8 conclusions 1 report

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 …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
7th Report - Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and se… HC 1399 11 Feb 2026 16 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

6 items
1 Conclusion 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: r… Acknowledged

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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
8 Conclusion 7th Report - Foundations of Learning: r… Acknowledged

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

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

Oral evidence sessions

1 session
Date Witnesses
28 Oct 2025 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 ↗