Fears over crumbling concrete at school allayed

Enfield Council said yesterday (September 6) that Churchfield Primary School in Latymer Road, Edmonton, had surveyors on site to check for potential reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

It added that The Department for Education (DfE) was set to send surveyors to the school in the coming weeks, but said that there “is not a specific safety concern at this time”.

But the school, run by Ivy Learning Trust, said today that surveyors had not found any Raac in its buildings.

An Ivy Learning Trust spokesman said: “Due to the year it was constructed, Churchfield Primary School was inspected by qualified building surveyors, appointed by the Department for Education (DfE), on September 6, 2023 and no Raac was found.” 

Raac, lighter and less durable than traditional concrete, was used until the mid-1990s but the Health and Safety Executive said it is now beyond its lifespan and may collapse with little or no notice.

Two other schools in Enfield – Winchmore School in Edmonton and St Ignatius College in Bullsmoor – have identified reinforced Raac in parts of their buildings.

A spokesperson for the council said: “This situation continues to unfold, and Enfield Council will continue to work closely with all our local schools to support them as fully as possible through this challenging period.”