Schools across England told to close buildings made with crumble-risk concrete - just days before term starts

Schools in England with buildings constructed from concrete which is considered a crumble risk have been told to close them immediately. The closures are necessary for safety work to be done, the Guardian first reported on Thursday.

The advice has been issued in new guidance just before term-time starts and a “minority” of the state facilities will need to “either fully or partially relocate” to alternative accommodation while safety measures are installed, the Department for Education (DfE) said.

Buildings made using the materials, known as reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) blocks, are to be “taken out of use and mitigations should be implemented immediately”.

The department has contacted 104 settings that do not currently have mitigations in place to vacate spaces containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). Some 52 of the 156 educational settings containing the concrete have taken protective steps already this year.

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The document goes on “this may come as a shock and is likely to cause disruption” but “the safety of pupils, students and staff is our priority”.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said telling schools to vacate areas containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) is “the right thing to do for both pupils and staff”.

She insisted the plans would “minimise the impact on pupil learning”.

“Nothing is more important than making sure children and staff are safe in schools and colleges, which is why we are acting on new evidence about RAAC now, ahead of the start of term,” Ms Keegan said in a statement.

“We must take a cautious approach because that is the right thing to do for