RAAC Concrete Found at Kings College

Published on: 21 Oct, 2023
Updated on: 24 Oct, 2023

Kings College Guildford

By Chris Caulfield

local democracy reporter

Dangerous concrete that can crumble and fail without warning has been found in Kings College Guildford, it has been announced.

Two other Surrey schools have been added to the list of buildings affected, The Magna Carta School in Egham Hythe, and The Grove Primary Academy, Frimley. All were named by the Department for Education as being the latest schools in the county where Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) has been found.

It means there are now six schools in Surrey with potentially crumbling concrete in addition to the high profile venues such as The Harlequin Theatre and Cinema in Redhill, Reigate Police Station and Frimley Park Hospital.

The Department for Education (DfE) revealed in September, when the RAAC crisis began, that Shawfield Primary School in Ash as well as St Paul’s Catholic Primary School in Thames Ditton and Danetree Primary School in West Ewell were affected,

See: Primary School in Ash Impacted by RAAC Crisis – But Classes Are Unaffected

All six Surrey schools are still maintaining on-site face-to-face teaching with their pupils.

According to the government, any school where RAAC is found will be provided with “funding for mitigation works” to cover the costs of propping up roofs or temporary accommodation on site.

It also said it would expect to approve all reasonable requests from schools, colleges or maintained nurseries to cover any transport costs or rental fees.

RAAC is a lightweight, ‘bubbly’ concrete that was commonly used between the 1950s and mid-1990s, mainly as precast panels for flat roofs.

Kings College Guildford replaced all its roofing several years ago and began replacing its pitched roofs.

The school also found RAAC within the roofing of its two sports halls which, when surveyed, was found to be safe for use.

The college later decided to stop using the halls prior to a DfE inspection, which found issues with the fabric of the building, according to a letter to parents.

The letter read: “In the interim, the PE team has adjusted the curriculum to utilise other spaces within the school.

“We have also managed to secure a large number of bookings at Surrey Sports Park to ensure the quality of provision is not impacted.

“Our hope is that we will be able to use our own facilities from Christmas.

“Whilst there are some logistical challenges we have had to overcome, I’m sure you will agree that we must prioritise safety in this instance.”

Kings College Guildford, The Magna Carta School and The Grove Primary Academy were contacted for comment.