DfE needs to ‘reset’ after finger-pointing RAAC messaging

The scale of the crisis facing schools shows that the government must engage the sector with a cooler head than it has shown so far, says the chief executive of the CST

7th September 2023, 2:07pm

Leora Cruddas

DfE needs to ‘reset’ after finger-pointing RAAC messaging

The recent headlines about the safety risks posed by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in school buildings have understandably triggered widespread concern.

Unfortunately, just when schools need cool heads and mature leadership from policymakers, the important messages run the risk of being lost in the midst of the finger-pointing that’s played out this week. This needs resolving urgently.

It is clear to most that the government’s communications on this issue, particularly over the past week, have in some ways made the situation harder, rather than easier, for schools and trusts.

Email errors

This was typified by the email that some trusts received on Monday evening, which asserted that they had not completed the RAAC questionnaire. However, it became clear very quickly that these letters had found their way to trusts that had, in fact, completed and returned the questionnaire.

At the Confederation of School Trusts we spent the next 24 hours working behind the scenes with members to understand the scale of the issue.

What we found was that it appears to affect a relatively large number of trusts, and there appears to be a range of reasons for the discrepancy - none of which is the fault of responsible bodies.

We contacted the Department for Education to raise our concerns and, to her credit, Baroness Barran immediately set about trying to work through with the sector what had caused the issue.

Time for cooler heads

It would be easy to spend the rest of this article “returning fire” on behalf of trusts that rightly feel aggrieved at the tone of the government’s messaging in the past week.

But our sense is that what we really need now from policymakers, in the midst of a crisis, is leadership: the sort of leadership that schools and trusts showed in abundance during the pandemic.

It is important that government communications now de-escalate the situation and, perhaps most importantly, are based on the principle of collaboration.

The plan must include clear short-term goals to help the sector work through the next few weeks, as well as a longer-term approach to getting the school estate back on an even keel.

Three points of action

1. The DfE must speedily address the data discrepancies that have come to light. We are encouraged by Baroness Barran’s rapid response on this but there is more to do.

Where there are responsible bodies that have genuinely not returned questionnaires, this should be addressed decisively but discreetly by officials.

2. Schools and trusts are saying they would benefit from additional reassurance about guidance that relies on visual inspection to identify RAAC in the first instance, and what to do if they feel they need to go beyond this in order to be satisfied.

Some responsible bodies have instigated surveys by professionals, but many are unsure about exactly who to speak to and who should pay for such inspections.

The department’s messages about this appear not to be getting through, and the communications over the past week will have made it even harder for them to cut through.

3. The issue of funding is another immediate concern that needs attention. Schools are already grappling with tight budgets, and the costs of surveys, mitigations and potential relocations could place an additional financial burden on them.

The DfE must issue a definitive statement assuring schools that all capital and revenue costs associated with RAAC issues will be covered by the government.

Again, vital messages are being lost in the current fray.

A long-term strategy

Finally, while the current focus is rightly on immediate safety concerns, a long-term strategy for England’s school estate cannot be ignored.

Once the immediate risks are mitigated, the government needs to engage with stakeholders to develop a comprehensive plan to secure the estate’s future.

Any plan should include a timeline for the removal or refurbishment of RAAC in schools but should go further to address long-term reinvestment to fix the range of problems that plague too many school buildings.