Independent · DfE-aligned · UKAS 17025

Independent asbestos consultancy for UK schools and academies.

Around 80% of state schools in England still contain asbestos — most of it built into system-build ceilings, boiler flues, textured coatings and Crown floor tiles from the 1945–1980 school-building programme. We help headteachers, business managers and MAT estates leads keep every pupil-day safe, every governor briefing evidenced, and every DfE return defensible.

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Overview

Why schools need a specialist independent consultancy.

System-built schools of the 1960s and 1970s — CLASP, SCOLA, Medway and Nenk in particular — used amosite insulation boards throughout column casings, ceiling tiles, service risers and boiler-house partitions. Post-and-panel classrooms bolted to these frames very often still contain the original ACMs behind the finishes staff and pupils see every day.

The Department for Education's Asbestos Management Assurance Process (AMAP) and, more recently, the Condition Data Collection 2 (CDC2), have both confirmed that record-keeping — not the presence of asbestos itself — is the weakest link in most schools. A refreshed management survey, a live register and a written management plan are what governors and the DfE actually expect to see.

Elements Surveying Group works only as an independent consultancy: we do not quote for removal, we do not take referral fees from licensed removal contractors, and every recommendation is scored on risk, not scope of work. That distinction matters when you are answering to parents, unions, insurers and the ESFA.

Legislation and guidance

The rules that apply to your estate.

Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 — Regulation 4

The headteacher, board of trustees or local authority (depending on school type) is the legal 'dutyholder'. A current asbestos register, a written management plan and a proportionate re-inspection programme are all mandatory.

DfE Asbestos Management in Schools guidance (2020, updated 2024)

Sets the sector-specific expectations for training, signage, contractor briefings and how ACMs must be handled during minor works, capital projects and RAAC remediation.

HSE HSG264 — Asbestos: The Survey Guide

The technical standard your surveyor must work to. Management surveys are the baseline; refurbishment & demolition surveys are required before any intrusive works, including RAAC investigations.

The DfE Asbestos Management Assurance Process (AMAP)

Voluntary but expected of academy trusts. Our reports are structured so the data drops directly into your AMAP submission without re-keying.

Typical asbestos risks

Where asbestos is usually found in schools.

Column and beam casings (AIB)

Amosite insulating board wrapped around structural steel in CLASP, SCOLA and Nenk system builds — high fibre-release potential if disturbed.

Boiler-house lagging and flues

Sprayed limpet coatings and pipe insulation frequently found on plant original to the building, often behind modern boiler installations.

Suspended ceiling tiles

AIB tiles were widely used above corridors, halls and staff toilets in 1960s–70s builds; visually near-identical to modern mineral fibre tiles.

Textured coatings ('Artex')

Chrysotile-bearing coatings on ceilings and soffits pre-2000 — safe if intact but hazardous when sanded, drilled or over-boarded.

Vinyl floor tiles and bitumen adhesive

'Marley' and 'Crown' tiles in classrooms, halls and kitchens routinely contain chrysotile in both the tile and the black adhesive beneath.

Rainwater goods and window panels

Asbestos cement gutters, downpipes, soffit boards and coloured infill panels — low risk in situ, high risk during roof works.

Common scenarios

Situations we support schools through every week.

MAT-wide baseline survey after academisation

A trust taking on schools from a local authority typically inherits patchy or missing registers. We deliver a portfolio-wide Management Survey programme, sequenced around term dates, with a unified register and single online portal for every school.

Capital project or RAAC investigation

Before any intrusive investigation of RAAC planks — or any capital works touching ceilings, columns or plant — a Refurbishment & Demolition Survey is legally required. We scope tightly and mobilise in school holidays wherever possible.

Damage discovered during term time

A caretaker drills into an AIB soffit, or a ceiling tile is broken by a football. We can attend the same day, isolate the area, air-test to reassure staff and parents, and issue a written clearance so the space can be re-opened.

Governor / ESFA / insurer challenge

You have been asked to evidence CAR 2012 compliance. We audit your existing paperwork, identify the gaps, and produce a plain-English board-ready pack.

Recommended surveys and services

The right survey for the job — no upselling.

We are consultancy-only. Every recommendation below is scored on risk, not scope of work.

Management Survey (baseline)

The right starting point for every school. Non-intrusive, delivered outside teaching hours, and produces the register the DfE and your insurer expect.

Explore management surveys

Refurbishment & Demolition Survey

Legally required before any intrusive works — RAAC investigations, ceiling replacements, boiler swap-outs, extensions and roof works.

Explore refurbishment surveys

Annual re-inspection

CAR 2012 requires that the condition of known ACMs is monitored. We deliver term-scheduled re-inspections and update your register in place.

Book a re-inspection

Air monitoring and 4-stage clearance

Reassurance testing after incidents, background monitoring during works, and independent clearances following any removal.

Arrange air monitoring

Frequently asked

Schools — the questions clients ask us first.

Is our school legally required to have an asbestos survey?

Yes. Under Regulation 4 of CAR 2012, the dutyholder — usually the headteacher, board of trustees or the LA — must know whether asbestos is present, where it is and what condition it is in. A written survey is the standard way to demonstrate that.

Can the survey be done during term time?

A Management Survey is non-intrusive and can normally be delivered during term time, working around occupied classrooms. A Refurbishment & Demolition Survey involves sampling and is best delivered in holidays — we plan the programme around your calendar.

What about RAAC — do we need a separate survey?

RAAC investigations disturb ceilings and voids, so a Refurbishment & Demolition Survey of the affected areas is required before intrusive RAAC works begin. We can dovetail the two so investigators are not delayed.

Who is the dutyholder in an academy trust?

The board of trustees holds the ultimate duty, typically discharged through the CEO and the estates lead. In LA-maintained schools the duty usually sits with the LA, but the headteacher retains day-to-day responsibility.

Do we need to remove asbestos we already know about?

No — CAR 2012 favours managing ACMs in situ where they are in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed. Removal is a proportionate response only where the material is damaged or where works cannot avoid it.

Related resources

School Compliance Checker (5-minute audit)Which asbestos survey do I need?Guide: School Asbestos Regulations Education sector overview

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Every enquiry is reviewed by a senior consultant and answered within one working day.