The UK government has refused to provide extra help or make changes to exams and assessments for pupils affected by school closures due to dangerous reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac). Since September, students in England have been unable to access design and technology work rooms, laboratories and other specialist spaces due to Raac. The material, which has a lifespan of about 30 years, was used for flat roofing, floors and walls between the 1950s and 1990s as a cheaper alternative to standard concrete. But the material’s short lifespan has caused serious issues in permanent buildings.
There are now 231 schools in England confirmed to have Raac. Over the summer, a Raac panel collapsed at a school in England, leading to more closures. Raac’s presence has led to the loss of specialist spaces which cannot be easily replicated. Schools with Raac on site have also had to teach children in marquees, portable classrooms, sports halls and corridors which had an impact on the quality of teaching. Some establishments have even had to increase class sizes and ferry students to off-site venues.
The Department for Education (DfE) said it was “not possible to make changes to exams and assessments for only some groups of students”. But school leaders have called for special consideration. Hadleigh High School in Suffolk is currently unable to access any of its six science labs. Pupils who should be conducting experiments with Bunsen burners and test tubes are instead learning theory in two-storey portable classrooms. However, the children are better with their teachers than at home, CEO Sarah Skinner of South Suffolk Learning Trust said.
Shoeburyness High School in Essex was aware of Raac in its design and technology block months before it was added to the government’s official Raac list. Work to remove the material has been pushed back to Easter which would be “too late” for GCSE design and technology students to complete the required practical work. The school opted to switch students to 3D design, a different GCSE course, rather than waiting for an extension that might not be allowed. CEO Ben Stickley of Southend East Community Academy Trust, to which the school belongs, said that even though they did not wish to do so, they were looking for the “least-worst option” for the affected students
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