Survey reveals concern surrounding safety of school buildings

Concerns are rising over the safety of school buildings as 1 in 10 parents report issues regarding the building safety of their children’s school

A new national survey conducted by SFG20, the industry standard for building maintenance, has revealed that over half (56%) of Brits are concerned about the safety and maintenance of school buildings in the UK.

56% of people think the safety of nurseries and primary schools should be a priority by the local government, with 52% also thinking the local government should prioritise the safety of secondary schools and colleges.

The SFG20 Building Safety Survey 2024 surveyed 1,500 people across 15 UK cities to highlight their perceptions of the safety and maintenance of local buildings in their area.

The report comes after the UK government has faced increased scrutiny following the damaging use of RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete), a lightweight and less durable concrete, in UK schools, causing nationwide apprehensions around building integrity.

Three in 5 survey respondents shared that they are now more concerned about building safety following incidents such as the use of RAAC, with 21% stating their worries have ‘significantly increased’.

Breaking this down by region, London is the region most concerned about prioritising the safety of schools and colleges, with 73% choosing them as an area of focus for the government. London is followed by Leicester (65%) and Birmingham (63%).

Concerns were raised over the government’s efforts to maintain and improve schools in their area, with 30% saying they felt dissatisfied with the government’s efforts and 30% distrusting that schools and colleges are safe in accordance with current building safety standards.

Alarmingly, one in ten parents stated they have experienced issues regarding the building safety and integrity of their child’s schools, further highlighting the government’s need to prioritise school building safety in the UK.

Jason Instrell, Industry Lead at SFG20, shared his thoughts on the survey’s findings: “It is concerning to see the proportion of the British public concerned with the safety of schools in their local area. Over the last decade, the UK has seen a string of events that have placed the maintenance of local infrastructure under a particularly intense spotlight, in particular the damaging use of RAAC in schools. The introduction of the Building Safety Act in 2022 saw stricter rules on the safety of buildings and it remains the UK government’s responsibility to ensure the public feels safe and educated about the maintenance of these buildings.”