List of eight extra schools with Raac concrete in Essex

Another 43 schools and colleges have been identified as having reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) on site, including eight in Essex.

Overall, 214 education settings in England have been confirmed with Raac as of October 16.

Essex is the worst hit county with 70 schools confirmed with Raac, according to data published by the Department for Education (DfE) today.

Affected - Manningtree High School (Image: Google)

List of newly identified schools with Raac in Essex

The DfE has confirmed Raac is present at these eight schools:

• Cann Hall Primary School
• Elm Hall Primary School
• Manningtree High School
• Priory Primary School, Bicknacre
• Shoebury High School
• Southview School
• Spring Meadow Primary School & School House Nursery
• Thameside Primary School

Shoebury High School wrote to parents last month to confirm it had closed some classrooms after Raac was identified, but this is the first time the school has appeared on the Government-issued list.

Essex schools which haven't returned to face-to-face learning

Pupils at these seven schools across the county are still having a mix of face-to-face lessons and remote learning:

• Hatfield Peverel St Andrew's Junior School
• Roding Valley High School
• St Clere's School
• The Billericay School
• The Bromfords School
• The Honywood Community Science School
• Thurstable School Sports College and Sixth Form Centre

PM: Essex 'disproportionally affected'

During a visit to Clacton on Wednesday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was questioned over the Government’s response to the Raac crisis.

Visit - Rishi Sunak in Clacton on Wednesday (Image: PA)

He said: “I know this has been a disruptive period for pupils, teachers, and families. It was right that the Government acted swiftly once the advice and guidance changed on how to deal with Raac in schools.

“I’m pleased that nationally the number of schools affected is around one per cent, but I know Essex has been disproportionately affected.

“The vast majority of schools have now got mitigations in place and children are in face-to-face learning as normal, including five schools here in Clacton.

“Where that is not the case, there is strong support to make that happen as quickly as possible.

“All schools have been given a dedicated case worker. The Government is funding any mitigations that are required and we’re working through it as quickly as possible to get those schools the support they need and get kids back to face-to-face as we all want them to.”

He refused to commit to reviewing GCSE results for pupils sitting exams this year who have lost learning, as was the case during the Covid pandemic.

Mr Sunak added: “We’re already investing record sums into our schools, particularly to help our pupils catch up from the lost learning from Covid.

“We’re in the midst at the moment of the biggest ever tutoring programme that this country has ever seen which we’ve invested £5billion in to provide millions of tutoring hours particularly for our most disadvantaged children who suffered enormously as a result of the lost learning during Covid.”