There has been significant recent media coverage regarding Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and its use in educational settings. RAAC is a lightweight form of concrete; because it is weaker than regular concrete, concerns have been raised about its long-term durability.

The Department for Education (DfE) has recently changed its guidance schools on the management of RAAC to take a more precautionary approach and as a result areas in affected spaces are to be vacated.

Over the last year schools in the Lighthouse School Partnership (LSP) have been working with the Department for Education to survey our buildings for RAAC. Particular attention was paid to Gordano School as several of its buildings were constructed in the post-war era.

On Monday 4 September structural engineers visited the Gordano School. Their investigations established there are two small areas of RAAC in one building on the site.  The use of the material is in cladding only, and not in any structural elements of the school’s buildings.

Gordano School are now working with engineers to address this section of RAAC and have created a risk assessment; the area surrounding the RAAC cladding will be closed off for the safety of all those on the school site. It will have a very limited impact on lesson delivery for students. It is anticipated that works will take up to a month to complete.

The Lighthouse Schools Partnership contains 30 schools; no further confirmed or suspected RAAC has been identified on any of our sites.

RAAC does not appear to be a particularly common building material in the South West region, however we will be conducting surveys of LSP school buildings built from the 1950s – mid 1990s as an additional precaution. Should these surveys raise any concerns (RAAC or otherwise) we will seek advice on how to resolve the issues.