A Wallsend primary school will remain closed for the remainder of the week after a site survey revealed structural problems.
St Columba's Catholic Primary School, located on Station Road, has closed its doors after the discovery of 'Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete' (RAAC) in the school's ceiling panels.
RAAC, according to the Department for Education, is a lightweight form of concrete which is much weaker than traditional concrete. Its useful life has been estimated to be approximately 30 years.
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The school, part of the Bishop Berwick Catholic Education Trust, has informed parents that it plans to return to "face-to-face" learning by Monday, June 19.
An email from St Columba's headteacher, Mrs C Garbutt, reads: "The presence of RAAC is not an immediate health risk to pupils or staff. However, it is a substandard building material which can cause weakness to the structure of the building and ceiling panels. The report has indicated major signs of weakness in some parts of our building which are considered to be a risk if they are not repaired, maintained or replaced. Therefore, the school building must remain closed, whilst we review our options to make the building safe."
A spokesperson for the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust said: “After a full site survey was conducted at St Columba’s, it was confirmed that RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) was found to be present in the school ceiling panels.
“The school building is closed whilst we review our options for long-term remediation. However, in the short term, the pupils will have remote learning and in the coming week, we will be organising alternative arrangements for classroom learning.
“We are following government guidance regarding RAAC, which requires schools to have a number of inspections based on the age of construction."
RAAC was also discovered in another Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust school, St John Vianney Catholic School in West Denton. The school temporarily closed its doors on Monday following advice from the Department for Education.
Coun Steven Phillips, cabinet member for inclusion, employment and skills at North Tyneside Council, said: “The education of pupils in our borough is extremely important to us and we are working closely with the Academy Trust to ensure the pupils are able to continue their education, by supporting with temporary school placements.
"We’ll continue to assist the trust as assessments continue and support with any longer-term considerations.”
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