RAAC: Two more Birmingham schools found with collapse-prone concrete

Another 27 schools across the UK have been added to the government’s  list of schools discovered to have collapse-prone concrete (RAAC) - including two in Birmingham.

The government has now identified a total of 174 schools across the UK which have autoclaved aerated concrete, as of September 14.

Thousands of pupils had the start of their term disrupted by the discovery of RAAC, as some schools had to close buildings or classrooms. In total, 98.6% of schools have responded to the government’s survey.

The two Birmingham schools featured in the updated list are Baskerville School and Specialist Science College in Harborne and Maryvale Catholic Primary School in Old Oscott Hill.

Baskerville School announced that it would be closed until September 15 last week. The school posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying: “Unfortunately, we have suspected RAAC in school. Following conversations with Birmingham City Council, we will be closed tomorrow to all students apart from Discovery.” The school has since ‘partially’ reopened. Maryvale School said that it was open this week. The only other West Midlands school added to the list is Myton School in Warwick.

The two Birmingham schools and one in Warwick join five others in and around Birmingham that were previously announced to be affected by RAAC. These are:

• Aston Manor Academy, Birmingham - mix of face-to-face and remote arrangements
• Wood Green Academy, Wednesbury, West Midlands - some classrooms will be closed until October
• Ark Boulton Academy, Birmingham - start of term delayed
• Prince Albert Junior and Infant School - Aston - start of term has been delayed
• Brandhall Primary School, Oldbury - All pupils are in face-to-face education

What is RAAC?

RAAC was used extensively in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s in the UK. It is like concrete but is filled with air bubbles. It weighs about a quarter of what normal concrete does, but has been found to become waterlogged and weak after a couple of decades.