Students at Raac schools fear they are 'kissing top grades goodbye'

Pupils at schools in England that are partially closed because of dangerous concrete say the disruption has left them fearing for their futures.

Students have been unable to access design and technology work rooms, laboratories and other specialist spaces since September due to Raac.

Some have had to switch courses months before their GCSEs and miss out on required science experiments — but the government says it will not change exams as a result.

Nicola Cook said her son, a Year 13 student at St Leonard's Catholic School in Durham, told her he was «kissing his A*s goodbye» and was worried he would not get the necessary grades for his chosen university.

«It's really heartbreaking,» she said.

«I just have no answers. I can't solve the problem myself as one parent — none of us can.»

Ms Cook's son moved to the school because of its provision for pupils with special education needs and disabilities (SEND), which are now not matching her expectations.

She said the school had done an «outstanding job», but the situation is «as bad as you can imagine, and then worse.

»We need the government to come together and to really understand what the impact of this is."

School leaders have called for special consideration for affected students.

The Department for Education (DfE) said it was «not possible to make changes to exams and assessments for only some groups of students».

A total of 231 schools in England were confirmed to have Raac, or reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, in the most recent government list issued last month, but that list could continue to grow.

Raac is a lightweight material that was used mostly in flat roofing, but also in floors and walls, between the 1950s and 1990s. It is a cheaper alternative to