Saint Gregory’s is not one of the 100+ schools which has been asked to close by the DfE and it will be open to welcome all of our students back into the building on Tuesday 5 September (Year 7 and Year 12 only) and Wednesday 6 September (all students).
What is RAAC?
Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) is a lightweight form of concrete used in roof, floor, cladding and wall construction in the UK from the mid-1950s to the mid-1980s in a wide range of buildings including schools and office buildings. Although it is called concrete, RAAC is different from traditional concrete and is much weaker.
Why is RAAC in the media?
The Department for Education (DfE) has recently published new guidance for schools stating, ‘we have been made aware of further sudden collapses of RAAC panels in roofs that appeared to be in good condition. It is therefore essential that all responsible bodies undertake work to identify any RAAC they have in their estate following the stages set out in this guidance.’
How does this impact Saint Gregory’s?
In February 2023 we appointed a qualified building surveyor to test for RAAC in the Main Teaching Building and Science Blocks, the two buildings built within the time period when RAAC was most commonly used. The report concludes, ‘in both the buildings, the primary roof structure is steel…the floors in both the Main Teaching Building and the Science Block buildings are not RAAC panels.’
Saint Gregory’s is not one of the 100+ schools which has been asked to close by the DfE and it will be open to welcome all of our students back into the building on Tuesday 5 September (Year 7 and Year 12 only) and Wednesday 6 September (all students).
I will write shortly with a more traditional welcome letter and I am very much looking forward to getting to know the Saint Gregory’s community as we return to school after the summer holiday.
In Christ we Flourish.
Yours faithfully
Mrs Melissa George
