EIR Request - RAAC Status Mitigations Closures and Costs (Schools)
Request 101003854918
Scope and timeframe
Please provide the following recorded information for school buildings from 1 January 2023 to the most recent complete month:
1. Site list and status
a) List of school sites where RAAC has been identified/suspected, with current risk status and mitigation (e.g., propping, exclusion zones, roof replacement).
b) Dates when RAAC was identified, mitigations implemented, and any changes in status.
2. Closures and education disruption
• Days of full closure and days of partial closure attributable to RAAC per site.
• Where held, days of relocation/decant (on-site or off-site) attributable to RAAC.
3. Costs and funding
a) Capital and revenue costs incurred to date and forecast costs for RAAC mitigation or remediation (service-level totals; site-level if routinely reported).
b) Funding sources (e.g., local capital, Scottish Government, insurance), where recorded.
4. Policy and reporting
a) Current policy/guidance to schools on RAAC management and reporting.
b) Any management/committee reports since 1 August 2023 summarising RAAC position.
Response 10-10-2025
1.a) Moray Council has one school which contains RAAC this being Forres Academy. Area of school closed and mothballed. Further area of school has had some remediation work which included extension of building frame to provide sufficient bearing at the end of RAAC panels and some additional support around panels where openings have been formed.
There is a programme of ongoing Monitoring at the property undertaken by structural engineers on behalf of the Council.
b) 11 July 2023
Remediation Works:
Steel support beams c/w timber packing installed
Original support steel extended
2. Forres Academy was closed to all pupils on Thur 14 Sep 2023 to Mon 18 Sep 2023 – with remote learning undertaken on those days.
Tuesday 19 Sep 23 - ASN provision pupils plus all S4/5/6 – phased return. Remote learning support for other year groups
Wednesday 20 Sep 23 - ASN provision pupils, S1/2/3 plus Senior College pupils – phased return. Remote learning support for other year groups.
Thursday 21 Sep 23 - All pupils returned to school
Several areas of school required remediation works that resulted in their out of use status. This impacted practical subjects (Science, Art, Home Economics, Business and some Technical) –
Pupils in the senior phase who had certificate courses in the sciences, home economics and woodwork travelled to either Elgin Academy, Elgin High School, Lossiemouth High School or Moray College UHI to undertake the practical element of their course. The Council do not have a detailed record of number of lessons and number of pupils impacted during this period – although the max number of pupils that were decanted to other schools on a single day was over 200.
Practical subjects returned to Forres Academy in January 2024 except for Home Economics which returned in April 2024.
The reduction in spaces while remediation was ongoing impacted prelims exams which were in part decanted to Forres Community Centre in January/February 2024. All final SQA exams were back in the school for May 2024.
23 May 2024 – 29 Jun 2024 – during ongoing RAAC surveys an issue was discovered in kitchen/servery area. The kitchen closed for remediation works to be completed. Food production temporarily moved to Dyke Primary; with a reduced menu this ran from Thursday 23 May 24
There are 13 classrooms/learning spaces that remain out of use until the new Academy is operational
3. a) Works Cost - £591,228.23
Consultancy/Engineer Cost - £108,471.00
b) All funding from Council capital.
4. a) Guidance provided to occupiers of Forres Academy in relation to areas of school not accessible. Inspection programme in place and will provide guidance if any change is noted in the condition of the RAAC panels. Replacement for Forres Academy in design stage and will be long term solution to the issue.
b) An Education report to ECLS Report 28 November 2023 - an update on the Forres Academy Reinforced Autoclaved Aeriated Concrete (RAAC) contingency and recovery planning: Forres Academy RAAC Contingency and Recovery Planning
Appendix 1 - is published and available on the Moray Council website. For ease of reference please find a link to the web page here:
https://moray.cmis.uk.com/Moray/Document.ashx?czJKcaeAi5tUFL1DTL2UE4zNRBcoShgo=OWmby9Vo3dHJEs35qh%2fDTsCmlWdk31V3wKOiyYWUIa51cPtdSoOQBA%3d%3d&rUzwRPf%2bZ3zd4E7Ikn8Lyw%3d%3d=pwRE6AGJFLDNlh225F5QMaQWCtPHwdhUfCZ%2fLUQzgA2uL5jNRG4jdQ%3d%3d&mCTIbCubSFfXsDGW9IXnlg%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&kCx1AnS9%2fpWZQ40DXFvdEw%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&uJovDxwdjMPoYv%2bAJvYtyA%3d%3d=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&FgPlIEJYlotS%2bYGoBi5olA%3d%3d=NHdURQburHA%3d&d9Qjj0ag1Pd993jsyOJqFvmyB7X0CSQK=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNR9xqBux0r1Q8Za60lavYmz=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNQ16B2MHuCpMRKZMwaG1PaO=ctNJFf55vVA%3d