Responding to the final report of the Public Accounts Committee into the condition of school buildings, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“It beggars belief that nearly three months after the government’s belated, panicked crisis response to the RAAC situation, schools and parents still cannot have confidence that ministers understand or have a plan to deal with the full extent of risks posed by deteriorating school buildings.

“There is no clear timetable for how long current disruption will continue, let alone for when all RAAC will be identified and removed, and the government is failing to honour its promises to be fully transparent and provide regular data on the scale of the problem and progress in mitigating and tackling it.

“Many schools are still awaiting temporary classrooms and are having to repurpose dining halls, PE facilities, and spaces for after-school provision and wrap-around care. We are increasingly concerned about the impact on children’s education, particularly for pupils with exams next year.

“This report lays bare how RAAC is just one of many issues contributing to the worrying condition of buildings, yet it would take the existing School Rebuilding Programme more than 400 years to reach every school, which would be laughable if this wasn’t so serious.

“We urgently need clarity from ministers on when RAAC will be dealt with and a proper long-term plan to ensure the school estate is fit for purpose, both backed by the significant new funding that will be needed. This should be a top priority for next week’s Autumn Statement.”