Government confirms all the Greater Manchester schools affected by RAAC concrete safety concerns

Around 150 schools in the UK will not be welcoming back students this September due to safety concerns. In the full list released by the government today, there are seven Greater Manchester schools affected, and a further two that have separately announced they will not be reopening.

The issue relates to the kind of concrete used in the construction of the affected schools. Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, RAAC, was used in construction from the 1950s until the mid-90s, but has since been found to have a limited life span, meaning it is at risk of crumbling.

The Department for Education has been criticised for the timing of this announcement, just days before many schools were due to open. Many of the at risk schools have had to find alternative arrangements, including remote learning, as they prepare to reopen.

According to the government website, safety concerns over RAAC were first identified in 1994 and the situation has been monitored since 2018.

Initially, the government announced that 156 schools nationally were affected, however nine buildings have since been confirmed to not contain RAAC.

All the Greater Manchester schools affected

The government list of affected schools in Greater Manchester includes:

• All Saints C of E Primary School, Manchester
• Altrincham College
• Canon Slade School, Bolton
• Royal College Manchester (Seashell Trust)
• Sale Grammar School
• St Andrew’s CofE Primary School, Over Hulton, Bolton
• St William of York Catholic Primary School, Bolton

The other school not included on the government list is St Bernard’s RC in Bolton, which has announced it will open on Monday 11 September, pending a safety inspection from the Salford Diocese Building Surveyor and the Structural Engineer.