Parents are withdrawing their children from schools with crumbling RAAC, with heads warning of a 鈥渃atastrophic鈥 impact on their budgets amid uncertainty over when buildings will be fully repaired. Schools Week has spoken to four leaders across nine schools with who are aware of parents applying to move or are actively considering it since the start of term. Heads say some families of pupils are worried about further disruption to their child鈥檚 education after the pandemic. There is uncertainty both over the time to complete mitigation works 鈥 such as installing temporary classrooms or boarding up RAAC 鈥 so children can learn at school again, as well as longer-term repairs or rebuilds for those affected. Leaders are also worried RAAC will put parents off from applying next year. Parents of children going into secondary school must make choices by end of October. Open days are also held during the Autumn term, with some schools with RAAC unable to host them. 鈥楲ong-term uncertainty鈥 One large multi-academy trust leader said more than 20 parents across several schools with confirmed RAAC have applied to transfer in three weeks. 鈥淲e are having conversations with these parents, but it鈥檚 mainly caused by parents not really wanting their children to be mucked about and sent to a variety of different locations for school. Gillian Keegan 鈥淭hen there鈥檚 the long-term uncertainty of what鈥檚 going to happen to schools and it鈥檚 clearly not going to be removed in the near future.鈥 The government will fund longer-term refurbishment or rebuilding projects to permanently remove RAAC through capital grants or through the school rebuilding programme, education secretary Gillian Keegan told the Commons this week. However, she gave no timeline on when this could start to happen. Under the rebuilding programme, for instance, many schools will not be rebuilt until 2030. The head said: 鈥淲e are keeping parents well up to date, but we can only tell them what we know and are allowed to tell them. It鈥檚 not like I can make all of these decisions myself. I鈥檝e got to check with civil servants.鈥 They said five or 10 students leaving 鈥渋s a devastating amount of money鈥, adding that ministers should safeguard future years鈥 funding at this year鈥檚 level for RAAC-impacted schools. Schools need funding reassurance Geoff Barton, general secretary at ASCL heads鈥 union, said this 鈥渦nderlines the need for the DfE to set out a long-term plan of how they are going to support schools with RAAC. School leaders need reassurance over the wider funding implications of managing this situation and it is only natural for parents to want clarity over the form their child鈥檚 education is going to take going forward.鈥 The leaders would only share their stories on the condition of anonymity amid fears sharing their concern could trigger more parents to leave. Another head said two families had already moved, with up to four considering it. 鈥淭he families that have moved have said it鈥檚 nothing to do with you,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hey are thinking that the rest of the academic year in temporary accommodation 鈥 it鈥檚 not going to be what they expected or planned. “If there鈥檚 a school down the road where everything is stable, and isn鈥檛 potentially changing, then some parents might look and see that.鈥 Any drop in pupil numbers would be 鈥渃atastrophic for our budgets鈥 and 鈥渋t鈥檚 not our fault at all鈥, they added. Most funding schools get is on a per-pupil basis. Parents putting kids 鈥榦n strike鈥 Another head said 鈥渁 couple of parents鈥 had mentioned transferring, with parents 鈥済etting quite agitated鈥 at the situation. Some had threatened putting their children 鈥渙n strike鈥 by refusing to allow them to engage with remote learning to put pressure on government to 鈥渄o something quicker鈥. 鈥淗eads are at the sharp edge of it. We are trying to deal with the staff, kids and governors who are stressed, then trying to manage builders on site.鈥 A fourth leader has fewer than five parents wishing to transfer, but is concerned that number could grow as the term goes on. 鈥淚 worry about the degree of patience of the parents and the children,鈥 they said. 鈥淭he [DfE] caseworkers are generally trying to do their best鈥 it鈥檚 the length of time for resolutions we face, I鈥檓 not sure how many parents have realised that.鈥 The leader is also worried about admissions and the possibility of being 鈥減ut off applying to be part of a school community 鈥 no matter how successful 鈥 where there鈥檚 maybe an ongoing significant degree of disruption鈥. Schools Week spoke to three other heads with RAAC-affected schools who said no parents had mentioned moving school yet. Mitigations 鈥榯ake the clock off鈥 Baroness Barran, academies minister, told MPs this week that putting temporary classrooms 鈥渋s very often not a quick fix鈥. The Bromfords School in Wickford, Essex, has pupils learning at home as it waits for temporary classrooms. However, it is currently looking at reopening 鈥渘o later than鈥 November 20. Barran also said 鈥渟emi-permanent鈥 timber ceilings can be put in place under RAAC-affected areas and these can last for 10 years. Susan Acland Hood Susan Acland-Hood, DfE鈥檚 permanent secretary, said these 鈥渃omfortable and reasonable鈥 mitigations 鈥渢ake the clock off, but it does not mean we will not want to do a permanent fix鈥. The school rebuilding programme has 100 spare slots, but Acland-Hood said the Treasury has an 鈥渁greement that they will make this a priority for the next spending review will allow us to increase the total number if we need to. Therefore, if we have more schools that need rebuilding than we have slots, we will increase the size.鈥 Project directors are working with schools on the immediate mitigation and assessing what is needed in the longer term, she added. However, Barran shot down a bizarre suggestion from Conservative MP Nick Fletcher to install netting under RAAC ceilings. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think as a child or member of staff I鈥檇 be particularly comfortable under a net,鈥 she said on Tuesday. A DfE spokesperson said schools with concerns about future funding should speak to their RAAC case worker.