Earlier this year after I was made aware of RAAC issues at Magna Carta school affecting the tower and science labs, I met with the Executive Principal to discuss the actions and support needed to ensure the school could retain capacity with minimal disruption to teaching. This week I had a further meeting with Baroness Barran who is leading the Government’s RAAC mitigation programme.
RAAC, or Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, is a building material used between the 1950s-1990s, usually used as a roofing or floor material. There has been increasing evidence that the material degrades over time and to ensure children and staff in schools are safe work is being done to mitigate schools which have been built using RAAC.
Magna Carta school has RAAC in the Tower, which has led to the temporary closure of its science labs and several other facilities on site. It’s really important that local students have access to practical science lessons and facilities, coming from a science background myself it’s something I’m particularly passionate about. Magna Carta School has been working very hard to minimise any further disruption to pupils’ education, especially given the impact of covid in recent years.
The Department of Education is working closely with the school on the provision of temporary labs and funding, but it is essential this is delivered swiftly. The issues are further complicated by the fact the affected building also requires additional investment and maintenance. The school had been planning to bring forward proposals for the development of a new building, and have therefore suggested that improvement funds go towards this project. During my meeting with Baroness Barran I reiterated this request that rather than medium term mitigation of the affected building, the Department use the money allocated for RAAC remediation to instead work with the school to build a new facility for lessons on site fit for the future. I will have further meetings with the team at the Department for Education and with the school to campaign for a new building.
