As many schools are forced to find emergency accommodation for the beginning of term due to identified issues with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), Alison Peacock, CEO of the Chartered College of Teaching, said:

“Everybody should feel safe in school. The safety of children and young people as they return to school is of paramount importance. These buildings are also the workplaces of hundreds of thousands of teachers, leaders and support staff. The shocking state of so many of these workplaces suggests a lack of care and respect for our profession as well as our pupils.

“Although it is right that new information about the risks has led to an urgent response, I am saddened by the complacency of a government that has known about these dangers for many years. The chaos and uncertainty for pupils and families at the start of term, as well as the additional stress and workload for school staff, could have been avoided. We need an urgent fix. We also need a long term plan to make sure that schools are places where pupils and staff look forward to coming to.”