To not believe other schools don’t have RAAC too?

[Teateaandmoretea]

DD’s school is partially shut. She hasn’t been in at all this year and we’ve had a highly depressing update tonight talking about portaloos and temporary classrooms in the coming months.

We’re in a lucky position where she’s actually been offered a place at another school. But the building looks much the same, built 1950s, it’s slightly older. Was the use of RAAC rare then? 🤔. Are we just going to have the same again in a few months?

I understand it was mainly used between the mid-1960s and the 1970s, so it’s possible it doesn’t have any if built in the 1950s.

Two schools in my town are closed and looks likely to be closed some time ...you not alone

1950’s builds seem less likely to be affected.

pretty rubbish for kids, didn’t realise some still not back at school.

I wonder if it’s the same town…. We also have 2 schools closed.

Lots of kids aren’t back at school 😞. No one really interested though since the initial political point scoring.

Even if they haven't got that concrete a huge number of schools have incredibly old buildings run down and not fit for purpose. Massive issues with heating, ventilation, cooling. I've taught in all sorts of extremes of temperatures that wouldn't be tolerated anywhere else. School budgets being stretched to maintain buildings which should really be knocked down.

Nope, it's astonishing how little of a shit is given about the state of schools, or the state of education.

RAAC is just the latest in an extremely long list of issues that are basically being ignored.

Typical. Kids miss out on education again.

Apparently there’s none in schools in my area (Wales). Not convinced to be honest.

The problem is that most voters vote for themselves. Most people don’t have kids and kids don’t vote, obviously.

So properly funding education over other things just isn’t a vote winner.

It doesn't do well in damp environments Wales has a bit of a reputation for being damp perhaps they didn't want to risk it so didn't use it

My sons school is build partly in a marsh they didn't use it here either

Three of our major hospitals had it though.

Nope, it's astonishing how little of a shit is given about the state of schools, or the state of education.

RAAC is just the latest in an extremely long list of issues that are basically being ignored
Agree with this. The amount of issues I've raised with various classrooms over the years is concerning.

There's an excellent article about the money spent on free schools in mainly Tory areas Vs normal schools. It also considers the huge impact of removing the specialism of Local Authority estates teams when schools were carved up into MATs.

It's deliberate mismanagement.

Our school is still closed. Kids haven't seen the inside of a classroom since July. No online learning. No portacabins. Lots of unhappy parents and miserable children. It's dreadful. And no end in sight.

Why is this not in the news?

As an update the school she’s been offered has been inspected and is apparently RAAC-free. The buildings look even more shit close up though. Decisions will be made in the next couple of days.

You're not the only parent looking to move your child

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/school-leaders-fear-financial-impact-of-pupil-withdrawal-over-raac/

Something the article discusses which hadn't occurred to me is that parents will be looking around secondary schools now for applications for next year, and they won't apply for a school that is falling down.

This could be really bad for the future of those schools.

Have they not sorted this out yet? Ridiculous

One of the schools that closed in April due to RAAC is still closed now, so thinking it would have been sorted in 3 weeks is a bit ambitious.

What did I just read? Did someone actually suggest putting a net underneath the ceilings that might fall down, and building works not starting until 2030?

Yes, if a net could catch the falling planks then teachers could continue teaching. But it was decided that might not be the best look.

In other news, a school in Clevedon has closed this week because of a different type of shitty concrete called HACC. God knows if that affects other schools too.

https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2023-09-18/secondary-school-forced-to-close-main-building-due-to-problem-concrete

Oh what! This is ridiculous now. Can't they build proper buildings?

Yep, that is absolutely what worries me. Plus teachers are going to leave and get jobs elsewhere. And my children’s school is due an OFSTED. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I think it has already been announced that schools with RAAC won't be Ofsteded till the problem is sorted.

What does ‘sorted’ mean though? Until the place has been knocked down and rebuilt?

I suspect what will happen is they’ll leave it a couple of years till the portacabins have become permanent, all the teachers have run for their lives and the place has hit rock bottom.

Really I'm shocked by this. It's disgusting the government have let things get so bad.

@noblegiraffe of course the schools with RAAC won't have an OFSTED inspection, they'd have to admit that the school itself is inadequate!