Third Northampton school confirmed to have RAAC in two sections of its roof, with rest of building deemed safe

A third Northampton school has been confirmed to need work to remove Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) from two sections of its roof, following surveys.

Fairfields School, a primary school in Trinity Avenue, has made alternative arrangements on-site to ensure pupils are able to continue with their education while the necessary work is carried out.

The issue affects changing rooms for a swimming pool, one classroom, and a storage area in a separate part of the site. All other areas have been checked and confirmed as safe to use.

Councillor Fiona Baker, West Northamptonshire Council Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education, said: “Clearly we’re disappointed to find issues at a further school in our area, though it is somewhat of a relief that staff have been able to accommodate all pupils without any major disruption.

“We are already working on a solution and will ensure the necessary work is carried out as quickly as possible, to help the school return to normal operation.”

Contractors have already been mobilised to carry out the necessary work and are currently assessing what is involved and how long this might take.

The Department for Education has been informed of the news and will offer support to ensure the work required is carried out in a timely fashion.

Lesley Elder, headteacher at Fairfields School, said: “This will naturally cause concern for some parents, so I would like to reassure everyone that children’s safety is our priority.

“The affected parts of the school have been isolated, and the rest of our buildings have been deemed safe for us to use. We will be sure to keep parents informed whenever we have any updates.”

What do we know about Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC)?

Concerns have continued to rise over the lightweight form of concrete, most commonly used in the construction of public buildings between the 1950s and 1970s.

However, it is made in a way that makes it “much weaker” than traditional concrete, says the Standing Committee on Structural Safety.

The Department for Education has been providing guidance and funding to manage the potential risks of RAAC since 2018, but new cases have made them “less confident” that buildings containing the material should remain open without extra safety measures in place.

The main concern for the government has been educational settings. As of August 30, 156 schools were confirmed to have RAAC – with 52 that had mitigations already in place and the rest were working to put them in place.

Following the initial news of the discovery of RAAC in buildings, the Department for Education’s X account provided background on the matter and said: “In cases as recent as August, buildings containing the material have failed unexpectedly, requiring decisive action in order to keep staff and pupils safe.”