We urgently need to invest in our state school buildings. It’s already too late…

By Jerry Tate 2023-09-05T06:00:00

The disparity in terms of investment in England’s independent and state school buildings is huge, getting bigger and unacceptable, writes Jerry Tate

The current RAAC scandal – where 156 school buildings have been identified by the Department for Education as at risk, with 52 of these at risk of “imminent collapse” – is clear evidence of the underinvestment in our state school buildings. At Tate+Co we work in the education sector for independent schools and universities and we see the contrast in levels of investment from these institutions to state-run schools.

RAAC, or Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, was used between the 1950s and the 1990s as an alternative to standard concrete; it was cheaper to install and lighter due to its “bubbly” texture.

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