RAAC: How Bolton schools still dealing with crisis now

Last year it was revealed that thousands of public buildings across the UK had been built with Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC). 

The material, which was commonly used between the mid-1960s and mid-1980s, was found to have safety defects. 

Since then, it has been confirmed that over 100 of the buildings built using it will need to be entirely or partially rebuilt, or have remedial works done. 

Canon Slade has been one of the affected schools

Thornleigh Salesian College, Canon Slade School, St Bernard's RC Primary, St Stephen and All Martyrs Primary, St Andrews CE Primary and St William of York RC Primary will have one or more buildings rebuilt or refurbished. 

Temporary buildings have been erected at Canon Slade School, with full reconstruction works set to take place at its affected areas. 

Headteacher, Karen Sudworth, said: "All our mitigation works have been to make sure everybody is safe, the majority of areas affected by RAAC have been able to open up again. 

"Some areas, it has not been practical to use them, so we have built additional temporary classrooms, as well as temporary changing rooms.

"So everything that was closed has been reopened or additional accommodation has been put in place. 

"We have been put into group one of the rebuilding programme and will be in the next phase of refurbishing and rebuilding." 

She added: "For us it is a massive positive. We will have the RAAC removed through the substantial rebuilding and refurbishment programme. 

"It is really quite exciting, it will improve some of the areas. Our school dates back to the 1950s, so the Department for Education will be looking at the state of it as a whole. 

"They will take around 6-8 months to determine what needs to be done. Then the project itself, depending on its scope, could be between three and five years.

"Once the works have been carried out, however, they should be good to go for 10-20 years." 

Read more: Rebuild on the cards for Bolton schools to rid them of concrete at risk of collapse

Read more: 'No loss in capacity' as Royal Bolton Hospital removes crumbling 'RAAC' concrete 

Read more: ‘Significant delay’ and ‘bed blocking’ at Royal Bolton due to RAAC

Ms Sudworth added: "It is an exciting phase because it has been managed really well, the children have hardly noticed, although we had to struggle with arranging the classrooms and such. 

"It is really pleasing for us as it will help bring some of the areas up to the 21st century, which the school's budget doesn't afford us." 

Cllr John Walsh of Astley Bridge, where Thornleigh Salesian College is, said: "There have been temporary classrooms brought into Thornleigh to take initial pupils. 

"The trustees own and run the property, but the Department of Education has actively engaged with schools dealing with these issues and what the way forward is. 

"Some of them will be complete rebuilds, while others will have a partial rebuild or remedial work. At Canon Slade, for example, a number of options are being assessed by the department." 

He added: "Some of the schools will be fully rebuilt, but I don't believe there will be any total rebuilds in Bolton, it is likely there will be partial rebuilds. 

"Might involve some remedial work to other parts of the building. The previous government said that the process has taken place, hopefully the current government will honour those commitments to the officers at the Department of Education. 

"It needs to be clear that the current government will meet the commitments of previous government, rebuilding as necessary."