Which schools are closed? The full list of schools affected by RAAC, the potentially dangerous concrete

RAAC - a type of potentially dangerous concrete - has been identified in more than 150 schools. And parents want to know which schools are closed as a result of the crisis.

Just as parents finished stocking up on back-to-school supplies in time for the kids going back to school in September, the new term was thrown into chaos. News from the Department for Education broke that many sites have been deemed unsafe due to the presence of a type of concrete known as RAAC, which has left some schools with no option but to delay reopening.

With headteachers and staff scrambling to rejig timetables and put last-minute home-learning in place, parents and pupils alike have been wondering which schools are affected by RAAC and what will happen at the start of the new term. We've researched everything you need to know, from which schools are closed to what exactly RAAC is...

Which schools are closed due to RAAC?

a document released by the government showed that the start of term had to be delayed at 19 schools due to RAAC. Four schools with a total of 2,938 pupils have also had to return to remote learning, while the rest have become a mix of remote learning and face-to-face.

At the end of August, the Department for Education (DfE) identified 156 schools that are affected by RAAC. Of the affected schools, 52 have already put safety measures in place, while the other 104 are currently working to put protections in place that mean they stay open.

Schools only have to close (or partially close) if they do not have safety measures in place and cannot make alternative arrangements - such as converting other parts of the building into temporary classrooms or moving children to another site.

Though the Government has not released an official list of all the schools closing due to the presence of RAAC concrete, there have been some confirmed locations. However, it's hard for schools to identify whether or not their buildings contain RAAC, because it looks like normal concrete.

Full list of the schools where the start of term was delayed

• Hornsey School for Girls, in Haringey, north London
• St William of York Catholic Primary School, in Bolton, Greater Manchester
• Hatfield Peverel St Andrew's Junior School, in Essex
• Our Lady's Catholic High School, in Preston, Lancashire
• Outwoods Primary School, in Atherstone, North Warwickshire
• Hadleigh High School in Ipswich
• East Bergholt High School in Colchester
• Ark Boulton Academy in Birmingham
• Woodville Primary School in Chelmsford, Essex
• Water Lane Primary Academy in Harlow, Essex
• Cherry Tree Academy in Colchester
• Arthur Bugler Primary School in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex
• Claydon High School in Claydon, Suffolk
• Kingsdown School in Southend-on-Sea, Essex
• Ferryhill School in County Durham
• St Teresa's Catholic Primary School in Newham, east London
• St Francis' Catholic Primary School in Newham, east London
• Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School in Buckhurst Hill, Essex
• The Holy Family Catholic School in Keighley, West Yorkshire

The confirmed list of all schools affected by RAAC

• Myatt Garden Primary School, in Lewisham, southeast London
• Seven Mills Primary School, in Tower Hamlets, east London
• The Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls, in Ealing, west London
• St Ignatius College, in Enfield, north London
• Welbourne Primary School, in Haringey, north London
• St John Vianney RC Primary School, in Haringey, north London
• Hornsey School for Girls, in Haringey, north London
• Brandhall Primary School, in Oldbury, West Midlands
• St William of York Catholic Primary School, in Bolton, Greater Manchester
• St Andrew's CofE Primary School, Over Hulton, in Bolton, Greater Manchester
• All Saints C of E Primary School, in Manchester
• Abbey Lane Primary School, in Sheffield
• Pippins School, in Slough
• Stanway Fiveways Primary School, in Colchester, Essex
• Baynards Primary School, in Colchester, Essex
• Great Leighs Primary School, in Chelmsford, Essex
• Henham and Ugley Primary and Nursery School, in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
• Bentfield Primary School and Nursery, in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex
• White Court School, in Great Notley, Braintree, Essex
• Beehive Lane Community Primary School, in Great Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex
• Eversley Primary School, in Pitsea, Essex
• Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, Eight Ash Green and Aldham, in Fordham Heath, Essex
• St Lawrence Church of England Primary School, Rowhedge, in Colchester Essex
• Great Tey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, in Colchester, Essex
• Hatfield Peverel St Andrew's Junior School, in Essex
• Broomfield Primary School, in Essex
• Mersea Island School, in Essex
• Cranbourne, in Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Markyate Village School and Nursery, in St Albans, Hertfordshire
• Widford School, in Ware, Hertfordshire
• Palmarsh Primary School, in Hythe, Kent
• Birchington Church of England Primary School, in Birchington, Kent
• St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, in Tunbridge Wells, Kent
• St Bartholomew's Catholic Primary School, in Swanley, Kent
• Bispham Endowed Church of England Primary School, in Blackpool, Lancashire
• Our Lady's Catholic High School, in Preston, Lancashire
• Mayflower Primary School, in Leicester
• Parks Primary School, in Leicester
• Donnington Wood Infant School and Nursery Centre, in Telford, Shropshire
• Thurston Community College, in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
• Shawfield Primary School, in Ash, Surrey
• St Paul's Catholic Primary School, Thames Ditton, Surrey
• Petroc, in Devon
• Park View School, in Haringey, north London
• Springfield Primary School, in Chelmsford, Essex
• Outwoods Primary School, in Atherstone, North Warwickshire
• Denbigh School in Milton Keynes
• Sale Grammar School in Sale, Cheshire
• The Appleton School in Benfleet, Essex
• King Ethelbert School in Birchington, Kent
• Holcombe Grammar School in Chatham, Kent
• The Coopers' Company and Coborn School in Upminster, East London
• Wood Green Academy in Wednesbury, West Midlands
• The Honywood Community Science School in Coggeshall, Essex
• The Billericay School in Billericay, Essex
• Aston Manor Academy in Birmingham
• Hadleigh High School in Ipswich
• The Palmer Catholic Academy in Ilford, Essex
• The London Oratory School in Earl's Court, West London
• Tendring Technology College in Frinton-on-Sea, Essex
• East Bergholt High School in Colchester
• Hounsdown School in Southampton
• Thurstable School Sports College and Sixth Form Centre in Colchester
• Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School in Brixton Hill, south London
• Waddesdon Church of England School in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
• Wallingford School in Wallingford, Oxfordshire
• Woodkirk Academy in Wakefield
• Batley Girls High School in Batley, West Yorkshire
• St Clere's School in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex
• Sandbach School in Sandbach, Cheshire
• Carmel College in Darlington
• Anglo European School in Ingatestone, Essex
• St Thomas More Catholic School in Blaydon, Gateshead
• The Gilberd School in Colchester
• The Thomas Lord Audley School in Colchester
• St Helena School in Colchester
• East Tilbury Primary School in East tilbury, Essex
• Clacton County High School in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
• White Hall Academy and Nursery in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
• Altrincham College in Altrincham, Cheshire
• Cleeve Park School in Sidcup, Kent
• Joyce Frankland Academy in Saffron Walden, Essex
• Danetree Primary School in West Ewell, Surrey
• The Bromfords School in Wickford, Essex
• Royal College Manchester (Seashell Trust) in Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire
• The Ramsey Academy in Halstead, Essex
• Redhill School in Stourbridge, West Midlands
• Ark Boulton Academy in Birmingham
• Woodville Primary School in Chelmsford, Essex
• Holy Trinity Catholic Voluntary Academy in Newark, Nottinghamshire
• Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy in Shipdham, Norfolk
• Water Lane Primary Academy in Harlow, Essex
• Katherine Semar Junior School in Saffron Walden, Essex
• Katherine Semar Infant School in Saffron Walden, Essex
• Mistley Norman Church of England Primary School in Manningtree, Essex
• Hatfield Heath Primary School in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
• St Thomas More Catholic Comprehensive School in Eltham, south west London
• Godinton Primary School in Ashford, Kent
• St Francis Catholic Primary School, Ascot in Berkshire
• The FitzWimarc School in Rayleigh, Essex
• Winter Gardens Academy in Canvey Island, Essex
• Cherry Tree Academy in Colchester
• Prince Albert Junior and Infant School in Aston, Birmingham
• Cockermouth School in Cockermouth, Cumbria
• Northampton International Academy in Northampton
• St Gregory's Catholic Science College in Harrow, Greater London
• Bishop Douglass School Finchley in East Finchley, North London
• Lubbins Park Primary Academy in Canvey Island, Essex
• Scalby School in Scarborough, North Yorkshire
• Arthur Bugler Primary School in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex
• St Leonard's Catholic School in Durham
• Canon Slade School in Bolton
• Claydon High School in Claydon, Suffolk
• Harlowbury Primary School in Harlow, Essex
• Kingsdown School in Southend-on-Sea, Essex
• Katherines Primary Academy and Nursery in Harlow, Essex
• Sir Thomas Boughey Academy in Newcastle, Staffordshire
• Harwich and Dovercourt High School in Harwich, Essex
• Ferryhill School in County Durham
• Wyburns Primary School in Rayleigh, Essex
• Jerounds Primary Academy in Harlow, Essex
• Roding Valley High School in Loughton, Essex
• Lambourne Primary School in Romford, Essex
• Hillhouse CofE Primary School in Waltham Abbey, Essex
• Barnes Farm Junior School in Chelmsford, Essex
• St Elizabeth's Catholic Voluntary Academy in Belper, Derbyshire
• Hockley Primary School in Hockley, Essex
• Chipping Ongar Primary School in Chelmsford, Essex
• Langney Primary Academy in Eastbourne, East Sussex
• St Teresa's Catholic Primary School
• St Mary and St John Junior and Infant School in Erdington, Birmingham
• St John Catholic Primary School in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire
• St Anne's Catholic Primary School in Harlow Green, Gateshead
• St Francis' Catholic Primary School in Newham, east London
• Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School in Buckhurst Hill, Essex
• Sunny Bank Primary School in Sittingbourne, Kent
• St Benet's Catholic Primary School in Ouston, County Durham
• St Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College in Peterlee, County Durham
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire
• Wells Park School in Chigwell, Essex
• St James' Catholic Primary School in Hebburn, Tyne and Wear
• St John Bosco Catholic Primary School in Sunderland
• St Columba's Catholic Primary School in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear
• St John Vianney Catholic Primary School in West Denton, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• The Holy Family Catholic School in Keighley, West Yorkshire
• St Michael's Catholic School
• Elmstead Primary School in Colchester, Essex

What will happen if your child's school is closed?

If your child's school is closed, it will get in touch with you directly to let you know what the arrangements are for pupils. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said on Thursday 31 August that affected schools would be contacting parents, adding: "If you don't hear, don't worry."

Meanwhile, schools minister Nick Gibb told Sky News on 1 September that the "vast majority" of schools affected by RAAC have now been informed, saying at the time, "We have been calling them yesterday, but there are a few more that we’re calling today, and those schools are now talking to parents about what’s going to happen in their school."

If your child's school is forced to close, pupils may be moved to emergency or longer-term temporary accommodation in a different area of the school, or they may temporarily be sent to a nearby school that is remaining open. Other schools are making arrangements for home learning to take place or delaying the start date of the new term.

What are your rights if your child's school is closed?

Many employers are flexible with staff who have to care for their children due to unexpected circumstances and, according to the Citizens Advice Bureau, you have the right to unpaid leave.

So, employees are allowed to take time off work to look after their children if it's necessary, but may not be paid for this. It's worth checking your workplace policy or speaking to HR to check, as some employers might grant a certain amount of paid leave. 

What is RAAC?

RAAC stands for reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, and it is a lightweight form of concrete that is often found in roofs and some walls of public buildings that were constructed between the 1950s and mid-1990s.

The Government website explains: "RAAC is a lightweight form of concrete. The Standing Committee on Structural Safety (SCOSS) has noted that: 'Although called 'concrete', (RAAC) is very different from traditional concrete and, because of the way in which it was made, much weaker.

"RAAC was used in schools, colleges and other building construction from the 1950s until the mid-1990s. It may therefore be found in any school and college building (educational and ancillary) that was either built or modified in this time period."

RAAC is made from a combination of cement, lime, water, and an aeration agent. The mixture is poured into moulds and then subjected to high pressure and heat, known as autoclaving, to create a lightweight, strong, and porous material.

Experts say the building material is less durable than reinforced concrete and deteriorates over time, meaning it has a life expectancy of little more than 30 years. Therefore, buildings constructed from the 1950s to the 1990s that have not been checked by structural engineers are at risk of collapse.

Concerns of the use of the material in schools were first highlighted in 2018, when the roof of a primary school in Kent collapsed 24 hours after signs of structural stress began to appear.

Why was RAAC used?

RAAC was initially seen as a material that was cheap and easy to produce, but still a robust way of constructing buildings. It wasn't until 1999 that a report from the Standing Committee on Structural Safety (SCOSS) urged schools with pre-1980 RAAC-plank roofs to be inspected.

Years later, in 2018, the roof of Singlewell Primary in Gravesend, Kent collapsed because of RAAC failing. Thankfully it occurred on a weekend when no one was present, but this prompted a SCOSS alert in May 2019 urging building owners to locate pre-1980 RAAC planks and assess their condition and structural safety.

In December 2022, the DfE listed the risk of school buildings collapsing as "very likely" and the issue was escalated to a group of top officials from across the government.

In the following months schools were assessed by surveyors, but in August 2023 it transpired that several schools identified as containing RAAC but previously believed to be safe had suddenly suffered structural failures.

If your child's school is unaffected, get prepped for the start of the new term with our Back to School Month. From the best school shoes to tips for navigating packed lunches with a fussy eater, we've got you covered.