Raac-hit Essex schools in new list to be rebuilt or refurbished

A total of 70 schools across Essex with weak concrete at risk of collapse will have buildings rebuilt, refurbished or improved, the government has announced.

Schools were thrown into chaos after concerns were raised about reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) at the start of the academic year.

Essex was branded the worst affected county in the country amid the crisis.

A final list of schools and colleges in England with confirmed cases of Raac was published on Thursday.

Measures to permanently remove the material would then be arranged, with schools contacted with confirmation as to how its removal would be funded, the government said.

The list included Honywood School in Coggeshall, near Braintree, which was told in August 2023 that it had to close half of its site - including 22 classrooms.

Pupils returned in October after two blocks of modular classrooms were built, dubbed Space Village.

Other schools named on the list were Clacton County High School, The Billericay School and The Gilberd School, in Colchester.

Thurstable School and Sixth Form Centre, Kingsdown School, in Southend-on-Sea, and Arthur Bugler Primary School, in Stanford-le-Hope, were also listed.

Conservative MP for Witham, Priti Patel, said head teachers had worked "flat out" amid the challenges.

"Honestly, I can't begin to explain - August, September time - what it was like," she told the BBC.

"Yes, it was very difficult, yes, we were dealing with multiple challenges and concerns, but the reality is now we can look to a better and brighter future because there is more certainty for those schools."

The government said 234 education settings had been earmarked for a rebuild or refurbishment in its final list on Thursday.

Education secretary Gillian Keegan said work would continue to be done closely with schools and colleges.

"Nothing is more important to me than the safety of every child and member of staff in school," she added.

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