Haringey Council say they were ‘ahead of the curve’ in going ahead with necessary works which are funded by the government’s Department for Education

Hornsey School for Girls (credit Google)

Haringey Council has said that they estimate £4.7million costs related to Raac found in schools in the borough – but they are “ahead of the curve” in resolving the issue.

Three schools in Haringey are known to contain the type of concrete which is prone to collapse, prompting national safety concerns last year.

Hornsey School for Girls, Welbourne Primary School and Park View School contain Raac, with the council signing a contract worth up to £715,000 for Raac remediation at Hornsey School for Girls in July last year.

The Department for Education (DfE) is meeting costs related to the mitigation of Raac.

A spokesperson for Haringey Council told Public Interest Lawyers that it is aware of at least two other schools in the borough that are affected by Raac but for which it is not responsible.

An investigation by Public Interest Lawyers found the current cost estimate of £4.7million includes spends on items such as temporary accommodation, as well as works to remediate Raac directly.

Zena Brabazon, cabinet member for children, schools and families, said: “We have been proactive and completely on the front foot in dealing with this issue.

“This meant we were ahead of the curve, with our significant capital funding ensuring temporary and revised accommodation was in place for the start of the Autumn 2023 term and every child could attend school.

“The cost of works completed and those being taken forward is approximately £4.7m. This is funded by the DfE (Department for Education) who we are working closely with on the scope of the project.

“The safety of our students has been – and will always be – our number one priority. Last year, we – like all other local authorities – were asked by the Department for Education (DfE) to inspect our school buildings for RAAC. We didn’t drag our feet or bury our heads in the sand. We immediately got on with the task at hand and carried out borough-wide surveys to identify any problems.

“We worked closely with the senior leadership teams of our affected schools to minimise any prospective disruption to their teaching and learning on-site.

“Despite the government announcement on RAAC just days before the start of the academic year, our proactive approach meant that none of our affected schools had to close, and they can rely on our continued support as we look to rectify this issue swiftly and successfully in the future.”

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