Some schools affected by concrete safety fears not yet contacted – and minister unsure how many will shut
Not all schools impacted by concrete safety fears have been contacted and it is not clear how many will have to shut fully, a minister has admitted.
Schools minister Nick Gibb said in most cases “just a few buildings” or rooms within the affected schools will have to shut but “in some cases it will be the whole school”.
Asked whether all affected schools have been contacted, Mr Gibb told Sky News: “The vast majority have, we’ve been calling them yesterday. But there is a few more that we’re calling today.”
However, asked for a number on the full closures, he said: “We don’t know yet.”
The government announced on Thursday that around 104 schools or “settings” in England found with concrete prone to collapse are set to be closed or disrupted – on top of 52 that have already been affected this year.
Labour is calling on ministers to “come clean” and publish the full list of schools that will be impacted, as they have not yet been publicly named.
Mr Gibb said the government intended to do that “in due course” but he wanted parents to be informed by the school before they read about it in the media.
He also suggested more schools could be affected as not all building surveys have been completed.
The type of concrete forcing the closures is Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, known as RAAC.
Ministers are facing questions over why they made the announcement just days before the start of the new school term.
Minister ‘doesn’t know’ how many schools will have to close – politics latest
Mr Gibb said “new evidence” over the safety of RAAC emerged over the summer which prompted the government to change its guidance.
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Pupils will be out of school ‘for short period’
Previously remediation was required when the RAAC was in critical condition, but Mr Gibb said the Department for Education (DfE) is now taking the “cautious approach” that all RAAC should be removed.
Mr Gibb said: “In most cases it will be just a few buildings or a few rooms, or just a cupboard. But in some cases it will be the whole school. And in those circumstances we will be finding alternative accommodation.”
He insisted in cases where schools need to shut, children will only be out of face-to-face education for a “short period of time” – for an average of about six days.
And he said all costs of the remediation will be covered by the government.
“We’ve made it very clear we will cover all capital costs,” Mr Gibb said.
“So if in the worst-case scenario, we need portacabins in the school estate for an alternative accommodation, we will cover all those costs.”
Schools minister left parents with four key unanswered questions
As schools scramble to put new safety measures in place, many parents will be asking why it has taken the government so long to wake up to the gravity of this problem.
Education minister Nick Gibb told Sky News the government was taking a cautious approach to the problem of RAAC (reinforced aerated autoclaved concrete) in schools.
However, many would question the sincerity of those comments as the government has known about the risks of this type of concrete for years and was even told in September 2022 that the material was life-expired and liable to collapse.
Although Mr Gibb clarified that government will be paying for alternative accommodation for schools where necessary and that it would publish the full list of affected schools in due course, he left parents with four key questions.
Firstly, how many schools will have to close entirely? The minister couldn’t answer that question despite speculation it could be as many as 30.
Second, are all schools safe? Mr Gibb insisted they were, but the government is yet to receive all the data on RAAC in schools as not all schools have been checked.
Thirdly, although Mr Gibb guaranteed the list of affected schools would be published, he did not go as far as to say when that would be – leaving parents worried their children’s schools could be affected without them knowing.
And finally, the minister explained that not all schools impacted by RAAC had been informed yet, meaning there are schools that remain in the dark about whether they may need to be fully or partially closed.
With term beginning in a matter of days, the timing of these revelations come at a moment when Rishi Sunak and his government were hoping for a reset.
Mini reshuffle completed and refreshed from parliamentary recess, Mr Sunak will be frustrated by this false start ahead of the return to schools and Westminster.
Read more:
How will I know if my child’s school is being closed?
Once wonder material will cause chaotic start to school year – analysis
Government ‘not being truthful’
Labour condemned the government for delay and inaction.
Shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said safety concerns about RAAC have been known for years and blamed the issue on Tory “incompetence and neglect”.
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Steve Reed “You can’t deliver first rate education in second rate buildings.”
He told Sky News: “We know, and so do government ministers, that five years ago in 2018, there was a school in Gravesend in North Kent that collapsed because it had this kind of concrete.
“They had a report from the Department for Education itself just last December telling them the situation was critical at that point.
“In the last two years, my colleague Bridget Phillipson (shadow education secretary) has raised this issue in questions and debates in parliament over 150 times.
“So if they’re telling you they didn’t know this was a problem, they’re not being truthful and they should have taken action the beginning of the summer holidays.”
UK
MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace steps down as Kirsty Wark among 13 who claim he made inappropriate sexual jokes
MasterChef host Gregg Wallace has stepped down over allegations he made a series of inappropriate sexual comments on a range of programmes over 17 years.
Broadcaster Kirsty Wark is among 13 people who have made claims, with Wallace being investigated by MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK.
In an interview with the BBC, the Newsnight presenter, who was a celebrity contestant on MasterChef in 2011, claimed Wallace used “sexualised language”.
“There were two occasions in particular where he used sexualised language in front of a number of people and it wasn’t as if it was anyone engaged with this,” Wark said.
“It was completely one-way traffic. I think people were uncomfortable and something that I really didn’t expect to happen.”
Sky News has contacted Wallace’s representative for comment.
Kirsty Wark. File pic: PA
‘Fully cooperating’
Banijay UK said the complaints were made to the BBC this week by “individuals in relation to historical allegations of misconduct while working with Gregg Wallace on one of our shows”.
The company said the 60-year-old, who has been a co-presenter and judge of the popular cooking show since 2005, was “committed to fully cooperating throughout the process”.
“Whilst these complainants have not raised the allegations directly with our show producers or parent company Banijay UK, we feel that it is appropriate to conduct an immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate,” the company said.
“While this review is under way, Gregg Wallace will be stepping away from his role on MasterChef and is committed to fully co-operating throughout the process.
“Banijay UK’s duty of care to staff is always a priority and our expectations regarding behaviour are made clear to both cast and crew on all productions, with multiple ways of raising concerns, including anonymously, clearly promoted on set.
“Whilst these are historical allegations, incidences brought to our attention where these expectations are not met, are thoroughly investigated and addressed appropriately.”
A BBC spokesman said: “We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them.
“We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated.
“Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company we share any complaints or concerns with that company and we will always support them when addressing them.”
Previous investigation
Last month, Wallace responded to reports that a previous BBC review had found he could continue working at the corporation following reports of an alleged incident in 2018 when he appeared on Impossible Celebrities.
Wallace said those claims had been investigated “promptly” at the time and said he had not said “anything sexual” while appearing on the game show more than half a decade ago.
In an Instagram post following an article in The Sun newspaper, he wrote: “The story that’s hitting the newspapers was investigated promptly when it happened six years ago by the BBC.
“And the outcome of that was that I hadn’t said anything sexual. I’ll need to repeat this again. I didn’t say anything sexual.”
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Alongside MasterChef, Wallace presented Inside The Factory for BBC Two from 2015.
Wallace and Anne-Marie Sterpini in 2014. Pic: PA
Wallace has featured on various BBC shows over the years, including Saturday Kitchen, Eat Well For Less, Supermarket Secrets, Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals, as well as being a Strictly Come Dancing contestant in 2014.
He was made an MBE for services to food and charity last year.
Recorded episodes of MasterChef: The Professionals featuring Wallace will be transmitted as planned, the PA news agency understands.
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