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Are local schools are affected by RAAC concrete?
01/09/2023
A local Councillor has written to the Secretary of State for Education describing the situation as a “fiasco”
With just days to go until children are due to start a new school year, concerns are growing as to the safety of some school buildings and whether any local schools are affected.
On Thursday, the government ordered some schools to close because they were built using Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC). This is a weaker form of concrete leading to fears buildings could collapse.
156 schools in the country have been confirmed as having RAAC present, but so far the government hasn’t issued a list and we have no idea if any buildings in our area are affected
The Leader of the Labour Group at Cherwell District Council, Sean Woodcock, has written to the Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan, describing the situation as a “fiasco”.
He wrote: “With just days to go before the start of the new term parents have got enough to worry about without having to find out if their child’s school is safe.
“It is staggering that ministers have waited until now to act on this issue, and it is appalling that thousands of children face chaos and disruption to their education because they cannot start at their own school next week.
“The secrecy around this announcement has caused huge concerns.”
Councillor Woodcock says it is vital that a list of affected schools is published immediately so parents know if their child’s school is affected. He has also demanded an explanation as to why it has taken until now to act and a guarantee that all schools have been properly assessed for potential risks.
Banbury FM has contacted Oxfordshire County Council, which oversees education in the county, and a number of academies from our area, asking if their schools are affected.
In reply a County Council spokesperson said: “All secondaries in Oxfordshire bar one are now academies and a large number of primaries are also academies. As such the council is not responsible for them.” The statement did not indicate the position with the schools that remain under Council control.
Meanwhile Chenderit School in Middleton Cheney has confirmed the good news that they don’t have a problem with RAAC concrete and Warriner School in Bloxham say there is nothing of concern there.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam