Dear Parents and Carers,

You may have seen recent media coverage regarding Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and its use in educational settings. RAAC is a lightweight form of concrete; because it is weaker than regular concrete, concerns have been raised about its long-term durability. Department for Education (DfE) has recently changed its guidance to education settings on the management of RAAC to take a more precautionary approach.

We appreciate the concern this may raise, and we will always prioritise the safety of your children and our staff.

Across all LDST schools, we do not have any confirmed RAAC in our buildings and have not been asked to close any areas.

However, given the recent change in emphasis by the DfE we will be undertaking further checks in some of our buildings to provide further assurance around this issue.

In the unlikely event that RAAC is identified in any of our buildings, we will let relevant parents and carers know straight away, and we have contingencies in place.

Any contingency plans will prioritise the continuation of education and ensure that, if RAAC is identified, any impact on pupils is kept to an absolute minimum.