Shocking state of neglected schools leaves many buildings at 'very likely' risk of collapse

SCHOOL buildings are in major danger of falling down after years of neglect, a Daily Express investigation can reveal.

- Robert Kellaway

It comes as a watchdog warned of the threat of death or serious injury - even though the risks were flagged up to the Government two years ago.

Headteachers face being overwhelmed by the task of ensuring their buildings are safe for pupils to use, our findings reveal.

Schools have been starved of funds and must "rob Peter to pay Paul" to keep on top of maintenance and pay their bills.

Our probe found one headteacher whose primary school maintenance budget had been slashed from £35,000 to £7,000 a year.

Another had to fight for almost two years to get the council to tackle her school's concrete roof which was at risk of collapse.

Our findings were backed up yesterday by a National Audit Office report into the condition of school buildings.

The study found the Department for Education (DfE) had failed to reduce the "critical and very likely" risk, identified in 2021, of a school collapse causing death or serious injury.

The NAO said around 700,000 children in England are attending schools requiring major rebuilding or refurbishment work.

Almost four in ten school buildings are beyond their estimated design lifespan affecting 24,000 sites, the report found.

The DfE has estimated fully repairing the school estate would cost £7billion a year yet it has been awarded just £3.1billion by the Treasury. A major threat of collapse is posed by the use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), which is prone to sudden failure without warning.

The material was regularly used in construction of school buildings between the 1950s and mid-1990s.