700,000 Children in England at Risk due to Unsafe School Buildings, NAO Report Warns

The Department for Education (DfE) has assessed the risk of injury or death from a school building collapse as "very likely and critical," but the risks have not been addressed due to years of underfunding.

The DfE has allocated more than £15bn since 2015 to keep schools safe and operational, but the deteriorating condition of school buildings is damaging pupil attainment and teacher retention.

Ms Ashman, a mother-of-two from Sheffield, was struck in the face by a piece of falling facia board, covered in nails, while waiting to collect her children.

The NAO's report found that more than a third of all English school buildings had passed their estimated initial design life, and that continuing concerns existed for schools that still contained reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), a lightweight form of concrete prone to collapse.

The NAO also highlighted the safety risk from asbestos in poorly maintained school buildings.

The DfE has recommended minimum funding of £5.3bn per year to mitigate the most serious risks of building failure, but has been given an average of £3.1bn per year from the Treasury.

Head teacher Rachel Jones feels embarrassed showing prospective parents around her school, despite the excellent standard of teaching, due to the school's building being stretched to the limit.

The article discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on school buildings in the UK.

The Department for Education (DfE) official states that the government is investing in 500 projects for new and refurbished school buildings through its school-rebuilding programme.

The maintenance of schools is the responsibility of academy trusts, local authorities, and voluntary-aided school bodies, and if there are concerns about safety, these bodies should contact the DfE for support.

The official adds that the government will always provide support on a case-by-case basis if it is alerted to a serious safety issue.