Hundreds of local pupils face a delay in starting the new school year, it has emerged. The return of pupils at two local senior schools has been delayed by safety concerns over buildings in the light of the aerated concrete saga rocking the UK.
Myton School in Warwick has reportedly warned that many pupils cannoy return until September 11, the BBC reports. The school has around 1,800 pupils, according to Ofsted.
Aylesford School, also in Warwick, said it was also affected. Most pupils will reportedly not be able to return on time.
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Andy Perry, head teacher of Myton, has reportedly told parents school buildings have been inspected. He reportedly said the "results of this require us to delay the start date for your children to return to school".
The head teacher has reportedly warned the school is set to lose up to 28 teaching spaces during work needed on building safety. He says he is expecting confirmation on Monday.
The start of term for Year 7 and 12 will be put back from Tuesday to Friday, the BBC reports. The head reportedly said he hoped "as many other years as possible" would return to the Myton Road school on September 11.
Aylesford School, which has around 1,200 pupils, said it would only open for Year 7 from Monday and Year 12 on Wednesday. The school said on its website that contractors had discovered a "number of issues that will need immediate specialist attention" while carrying out work there.
Head teacher Tim Hodgson told parents: "It is well known that many school buildings built in the 1960s were constructed using methods and materials that would not be used today. Unfortunately, during scheduled building work this summer, contractors employed by the school discovered a number of issues that will need immediate specialist attention.
"Our primary school, which was built in 2015, is not affected. To ensure the safety of everyone in our school community, we have been forced to close a significant area of the school whilst work continues to resolve all the issues. We have taken expert advice and understand that it will simply not be possible to re-open and operate as normal next week."
As a result, he said the school would only be open next week for the following year groups.
- From Monday 4th September - Year 7
- From Tuesday 5th September – All Primary School Year Groups
- From Wednesday 6th September – Year 12
He said work will be provided on school system Synergy for all other year groups from Wednesday, September 6 to be completed at home. He added: "In addition, access to the School via the Shelley Avenue gate will not be possible whilst this work is being carried out. Students should arrive at school via Tapping Way and enter the school site as indicated by the signage. We kindly ask that parents refrain from visiting the school during this period.
"We will update all parents on Thursday next week; it is our intention to re-open to all year groups from Monday 11th September and we will confirm on Thursday whether this is possible. We will communicate directly with the Parents/Carers of those students who are eligible for Free School Meals early next week. Thank you for your support and understanding whilst we work to resolve these issues."
What are the safety concerns over aerated concrete?
Schools were told late this week that they must immediately shut buildings made with aerated concrete. This is because it is now said that puts them at risk of collapse unless safety measures are rolled out.
More than 100 schools across the UK have been contacted. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said telling schools to vacate areas containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was “the right thing to do for both pupils and staff”.
Yet there are concerns the issue could extend beyond the education sector – with healthcare settings, courts and offices also potentially at risk. Chairwoman of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee Dame Meg Hillier warned Raac is just “the tip of the iceberg” of a crumbling school estate, describing the state of some public buildings was “jaw-dropping”.
Some schools will have to relocate children to other teaching spaces. No timeline has been given for replacing RAAC.
In June, a report by the National Audit Office assessed the risk of injury or death from a school building collapse as "very likely and critical". It highlighted concerns for school buildings that still contained RAAC, a material used widely between the 1950s and mid-1990s.
The report said the DfE had listed 572 schools where RAAC might be present and that 65 had been confirmed, of which 24 required immediate action. In our area, one school has been caught up by the crisis.
Which schools locally and nationally have aerated concrete concerns?
warwickshire-county-council>Warwickshire County Council said one of its schools - Outwoods Primary School in the town of Atherstone - was impacted by the presence of RAAC, but said it would not need to shut. "The school has been monitored closely for several years, during which time we have installed precautionary supports to provide additional weight-bearing support and safety guarantees," a spokesperson said.
"The school does not need to close thanks to early interventions and engagement, and we continue to work closely with both the school staff and the DfE on a programme of works that began this year, which has removed the greatest risk areas completely en route to permanently resolving all of the issues."
Coventry City Council will continue to inspect school buildings under its control in the wake of the worrying crumbling concrete scare, but says it is not aware of the need for any closures.
The full list of schools forced to shut partially or fully, or carry out emergency works, because of RAAC:
Leicestershire
Parks Primary School, Leicester
Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy, Leicester
Mayflower Primary School, Leicester
Nottinghamshire
Carnarvon Primary School, Bingham
Holy Trinity Catholic Academy, Newark
West Midlands
Wood Green Academy, Wednesbury
London
St Mary Magdalene and St Stephen’s CE Primary School, Westminster
Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, Brixton
St Thomas More Catholic Comprehensive, Eltham
St Gregory’s Catholic Science College, Brent
Three unidentified schools in the borough of Tower Hamlets
Essex:
Baynards Primary School, Tiptree
Hockley Primary School, Rochford
Wyburns Primary School, Rayleigh
The Billericay School, Billericay
The Gilberd School, Colchester
Clacton County High School, Clacton
Kingsdown School, Southend-on-Sea
Katherines Primary Academy, Harlow
St Andrews Junior School, Hatfield Peverel
St Clere’s School, Stanford-le-Hope
Mistley Norman Church of England Primary School, Manningtree
East Bergholt High School, Colchester
Tendring Technology College, Frinton Campus
Woodville Primary School, South Woodham Ferrers
Thurstable School, Tiptree
White Hall Academy, Clacton-on-Sea
Jerounds Primary School in Harlow
White Hall Academy primary, Clacton
Winter Gardens Academy, Canvey Island
Ravens Academy, Clacton-On-Sea
Stanway Fiveways Primary School, Colchester
Honywood Community School, Coggeshall
Ramsey Academy, Halstead
The Appleton School, Benfleet
Northamptonshire
Buckton Fields Primary School, Northampton
County Durham
St James Catholic Primary, Hebburn
St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School
St Bede’s Catholic School, Easington
St Leonard’s Catholic School, Durham
Carmel College and Sixth Form, Darlington
Ferryhill School, Ferryhill
Byron Sixth Form Peterlee, Easington
Hampshire
Cranbourne College, Basingstoke
West Yorkshire
Eldwick Primary School, Bradford
Crossflatts Primary School, Bradford
South Yorkshire
Abbey Lane Primary School, Sheffield
North Yorkshire
Scalby School, Scarborough
Cumbria
Cockermouth School, Cockermouth
Suffolk
Hadleigh High School, Hadleigh
Claydon High School, Claydon
Shropshire
Donnington Wood Infants School, Donnington
Lancashire
Our Lady’s Catholic High School, Preston
